Pure Hearts
by roxaslover143
Summary: this is a fan fic about marlene from Advent children, about 9-10 years after Advent Children.
1. Chapter 1

FF7 Fan Fiction

Pure Hearts

Prologue

Thunder raged through out the skies. The goddess Gaia herself even tried to prevent this day from happening, but it was all in vain. The rain poured like comets falling from the heavens. Someone cloaked ran through the horrible gale.

"Come back!" a voice tried to shout over the thunder. "Please come back!"

The stranger only kept running. The rain stung his face and eyes; he slid in the slick mud, His hands landing on jagged rocks. But he still carried on. His voice echoed through his mind.

"_I will protect her, Even if I have to break her heart, and kill myself to do it."_

Lighting flashed, the rain poured harder as the stranger disappeared into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Pure Hearts

Ch.1

The Beginning

The first day of summer had become hot and dry in the noon-day sun. The city streets were full of life as busy people went throughout the beaten and torn streets of Midgar. Down in one of the busy markets a young boy was starting to aggravate his older sister.

"Come on marlene, just one little piece?" the boy whined tucking on her blue jeans.

"No zack, you know tifa would have my hide if I bought you some candy."

"Why?" zack mumbled under his breath.

"Because… I don't think your mom would appreciate it if I brought home a hyper little five year old that would run up, and down the house all day, and I'm not your father. He may buy you candy, but I don't."

Zack's whining only increased, along with Marlene's temper. She was about to let it slip before she noticed a few people heading toward some signs.

"Come on." She said as she grabbed zack's arm. "Let's go see what's happening."

Zack tried to break away, but her grip only tightened around his arm. Three blue signs had been posted on the notice board, one had a torn up picture with big, black letters.

HELP!!!!!!!!!

Missing boy, abou-

"_That's strange, the rest is torn out."_ Marlene thought to herself.

Below it was another blue sign with pictures of the TURKS.

"Ha!" zack shouted, pointing his finger at the sign. "Like anyone is going to sign up to work for that dirt-bag Shinra, who are people kidding?"

Marlene looked toward the distant ring that was the edge of the northern crater. For a fleeting moment she saw a small, black dot disappear into the other side.

"_Someone's descending into the crater! This can't be good news."_

She rummaged through one of her jean pockets, pulling out a small, half-eaten, chocolate bar and placed it into zack's hand.

"Zack, I need you to go get your dad. Tell him to meet me at the northern crater edge. I think someone might be in trouble."

Zack's face beamed as he saw the delicious chocolate in his hand. He looked toward the other street before his face became serious.

"But the training ground is on the other side of town Marlene. How do you expect me to-"

"There's no time to argue zack, just go get your dad and I'll give you half of my chocolate stash."

Without another word zack ran into the busy street. Marlene dropped her blue-green bag to the ground. She searched through it until she found a little, blue staff about the size of her hand.

"_There's going to be trouble if it's who I think it is. But how can it be? He's gone, cloud saw to that. But who else would go up there alone?"_

Marlene quickly through her strapped bag over her shoulder and ran toward the dangerous, jagged slopes of the crater.


	3. Chapter 3

Pure Hearts

Ch.2

Echoing Voices

Marlene struggled down the other side of the crater as the wind began to push her merciless down the jagged landscape. A black, torn piece of clothing wildly blew in the wind in front of a cave entrance; the cave was surrounded by a black, ash ring on its edge.

Anxiously trying to balance herself on the slippery, jagged ground her heel slipped on one of the sharp rocks. Wincing as the small cut on her heel started to sting, she slowly grasped the edge of the entrance.

"Hello?" she called cupping her hands together.

Her call only echoed to the farthest, darkest, long forgotten parts of the cave. No voice called back to her, only silence remained as silent as death claiming a fresh, clean life.

"_Hmm… maybe I just imagined somebody coming down here."_

She turned to leave, and then a very small, sound echoed through the dark cave, echoing for only brief seconds, before being claimed by the silence.

Bewildered she ventured a little further into the cave, she called out again. The sound came again; the smallest plea she ever heard came echoing into her ears.

"Help… help… me…"

Marlene kicked the top of her staff, with a small, click the top sprouted in a small, orange-yellow flame.

She tried her best to watchfully descend into the dark cave, with only the small light guiding her she could only manage getting my cuts and bruises on her feet. Hours seemed to go by in the depths of the darkness; she started to doubt that she even heard a voice.

She finally reached the bottom of the descending cave; the only source of light was coming from her staff. She looked around only to find a rest of the way blocked off by a cave in.

"_Well this was pointless; I probably did imagine the voice coming form down here."_

Still curios she looked throughout the cave, to her left she noticed a very out shaped rock pointing straight out of the cave slide, putting her staff closer she realized that the rock was actually a hand crushed and trapped in the rock.

Her mind raced, there was someone down here! Were they even alive? Could they hear me? What do I do know?

A voice called, echoing behind her.

"Marlene!? Marlene are you down here!?"

"Yes! Hurry cloud there's someone trapped down here!"

"Get out of the way marlene!"

Marlene's eyes squinted in the darkness; a small blue light was gradually coming closer. Marlene's eyes widened. Her barley had enough time to dodge a ball of blue flame; the flame hit the rocks, blue started to deteriorate the hard stones, a small hole was being carved out of the blue veins in the rock.

"Marlene, head into the hole and I'll be there in a few minutes." Cloud's voice echoed.

Marlene looked into the dark hole. She threw her staff into it and slowly pushed herself through to the other side, as she twisted and struggled she thought she could hear the faintest muffled laughter through the cave.


	4. Chapter 4

Pure Hearts

Ch.3

Barely Alive

Marlene struggled to get out of the tight, round hole. Throwing her staff a few feet away from her she laid her hands onto soft, grainy ground. With one last desperate twist she finally popped out of the hole. Wiping the dirt from her eyes she reached for her staff, the small yellow-orange flame still burned brightly.

Sitting down against a wall she started to catch her breath, the ground underneath her hand was damp, and lukewarm. As her light became adjusted to the darkness she saw that the small patch of dirt around her had become a rust color, and there was a small puddle of blood flowing from a tiny stream to her right. Lifting up her staff she looked into the darkness. Her eyes widened with shock.

The blood was flowing from a skeletal, feeble, frail, very pale stranger. His silver hair reflected the small firelight. Most of his bangs and the right side of his face caked with black, dry blood. His left arm was trapped in stuck between two boulders pinning the rest of his arm to the other side.

Marlene grabbed the bottom of the top bolder and started to push. Hot, giant drops of sweat stung her eyes as she desperately tried to push the boulder. Her fingers started to throb, her face turned red with strain. The boulder slowly rolled and fell with a thus to the floor. Marlene leaned against the wall panting.

"That… was… one of the hardest… things…"

Marlene gently pulled the strangers arm back through, gently setting his arm on his lap she looked through the hole. A blue light was coming from the other end.

"Marlene. Are you ok?" cloud shouted through the hole.

"Yes, but there someone in here who needs help." Marlene called back.

The blue fire looked like blood veins in the rock, the burst into full flame and started turning the hard, cold rock into grainy dust. Cloud came through out of the darkness and dust.

Cloud gently cradled the boy in his arms and lacking any sign of strain he picked him up and started heading towards the cave's exit. Marlene followed close behind. As they left there was a small, soft, distant laughter from the deepest, darkest part of the cave.


	5. Chapter 5

Pure Hearts

Ch.4

Gen

The wind blew cold through the dark city streets; the orphan house was rebuilt, sheltering many orphaned kids from the soon fading disease of Geostigma. Many children watched with wonder at the bundle of torn clothing cloud had carried in that night.

Cloud carried the boy up to the second level, finally finding an available room, a small room with one dresser and small table, but a warm bed. Cloud set the boy on the cream-colored sheets. Tifa came in with a pair of red scissors and started cutting and ripping away the black, torn clothes.

Marlene could truly see the true extent of boy's injuries, the gash on his forehead looked like a small cut compared to the rest of him. His eyes had become very hollow and sunken. His whole face was a deathly, pasty, white pale. Every bone imaginable looked ready to burst out of his skin; he looked literally like a puppet skeleton.

Tifa pressed two fingers on the boy's thin neck.

"How in the name of Gaia is he still even alive? It looks like death has come and gone, but he still has a pulse. And he is still scarcely breathing."

Cloud looked into the pale, sunken face. Something more than curiosity brewed in his eyes.

"He looks like he could be about 19, 20 years old. But he is so thin that no one else could have told the difference. Will he live tifa?"

Tifa started redressing him in fresh, clean, warm clothes.

"He's probably starting to warm up, but if he doesn't eat soon…"

Marlene jumped at the thought, she couldn't have gone down there to save him and then just watch him die.

"Maybe we can… you know… wake-"

Marlene's words silenced a weak moan escaped the boy's lips as he slowly opened his eyes. He looked around the small room, noticing all the children at the doorway. His words could barley escape his lips.

"Where… am I? I… can't even… sit up."

His breathing became labored as he tried in vain to sit himself up, tifa gently pushed him back onto the pillows as she scooped up some syrupy, warm oatmeal from a small, wooden bowl in her hand.

"You're going to be fine; I need you to eat this. It will keep you going until you're ready to eat more. So tell us what your name is?"

His muscles strained, he slowly took the small bite of the oatmeal. He tasted, savored the warm, cinnamon, sugar taste in his mouth. He swallowed felling the warmth travel down into his stomach. He weakly coughed as he tried to take a second bite.

"Are you going to tell us your name?" Marlene asked standing beside tifa.

The boy looked at her with sad, bright, blue eyes. They were trying to hide or conceal some pain. She saw floods of emotion stirring in his eyes; she seemed to see that the only thing he felt was ache, sorrow, agony, and pain.

"My name is… Gen Gretes. But please… just call me gen."

Gen exhaled as his eyes closed. Tifa gently stroked his bangs away from the bandaged wound; she placed her hand on his forehead.

"He's warming up, but now he needs to rest. I'll come wake him in an hour to feed him again and replace the bandage."

Everyone turned to leave; the children still clung to the door.

"Come on everyone, it's time to go to bed." Tifa said softly coaxing them away from the door into their bedrooms.

Marlene slowly shut her bedroom door.

"_Those eyes… his eyes look so familiar… but from where?_

She lay down on her bed, questions flooded into her mind. Old memories came flooding back to her, memories from when she was young, she remembered a young confused man that had hurt her friend Denzel.

"_That's where I've seen those eyes! But gen isn't him, how could he be? Cloud saw him die, but those eyes. Maybe he's… nah I'm just paranoid."_

The thoughts didn't leave her mind. She tried and tried to forget them, but nothing could seem to scrape the ideas away. Who was gen? What was he doing down there? And is he a threat? She had no answers to calm her mind. Sleep had finally come upon her when the pale, moon was sinking below the hills


	6. Chapter 6

Pure Hearts

Ch.5

"Thank You"

The weeks of summer had passed by, slowly turning into the first weeks of fall. Many of the trees green fresh leaves started to turn into flowing colors of red, orange, gold, and brown. Gen's body had begun to build and steadily flesh out to the body of a healthy 19 year old, but through all those weeks he had become as silent as the grave. Very seldom did he leave his room when he started to walk, he only came down to eat and drink, but he hadn't said anything after his first night at the orphanage.

Many children had placed bets and wagers to try to get gen to talk. Every day a new little girl or boy had tried. They had tried everything. Crying, smiles, laughter, even their funniest faces. They only left the small room disappointed.

It was the middle of September. The early morning was turning into mid after-noon when the rain started. Soon it turned into pouring showers. Black clouds raged and thundered in the sky, the kitchen was full with over fifty children huddled next the silver, warm ovens full of freshly cooked pies.

Marlene through the commotion had been able to grab two slices of warm, freshly baked, and topped with creamy, white, whip cream, pumpkin pie. She walked down the hall, feeling the cold, smooth, wood floor with her bare feet. Trying not to drop the small, crystalline plates in her hand she kicked on the wooden door with her foot. The door slowly creaked open as she pushed herself inside.

"Hey gen. everybody else is down stairs enjoying themselves, and I thought you might want a piece of pie."

Gen didn't reply. He sat at the right edge of his bed staring, unblinking looking out the window. He watched the rain pound against the window. His pale skin contrasted with his new black shirt, gloves, pants, and cloak. Everything he wore was black. Marlene started to sit down beside him, but he took no notice. No twitch or movement came. His eyes glistened with the light illuminating from the small desk in the room. Different shapes of light danced, and flickered in his bright, blue eyes.

"Gen? Are you ok?" Marlene asked with compassion in her eyes.

Gen looked down at the crystalline plate. Small whips of steam came from the warm slice of pie. His long bangs fell into his face, shielding his eyes from the light. Gradually he slid his thin fingers under the plate. Struggling to balance its weight in his weak hand, His hand started to shake vigorously as he lifted the plate a few inches from Marlene's lap. With some effort he gently set the plate down onto his silky, soft, smooth black pants.

Weakly cutting his fork into the end of the warm slice, he lifted the small morsel into his mouth and chewed slowly, his tongue dancing in his cheeks and mouth, playing with the food inside. Marlene flushed in confusion.

"Do…do you want it? Is it bad? What's wrong with it?"

Gen shook his head.

"No, it's really good. I've just been… well, thinking." he whispered.

Marlene's brown eyes widened. She blinked with surprise, after all these weeks why had gen finally decided to talk? Her tongue turned dry in her mouth; she tried to find the right words to reply. Gen however continued first.

"I've been thinking of a way to try, and well, say… thank you."

Marlene softly placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Well, a simple… you know "thank you" would have worked." She said.

"That's not how I've been… well, it's difficult to explain. What I'm trying to say is…"

"_I want to tell you "thank you"._

_But it just doesn't seem enough._

_The words don't seen sufficient—_

"_Blah, blah" and all that stuff."_

Gen mumbled in frustration, his mind whirled with what he could say. Marlene held back the giggles.

"No, that's not it, let me try again." Gen said clearing his throat.

"_Please know I have deep feelings,_

_About your generous act._

_I really do appreciate you._

_All of you are special, and that's a fact."_

Gen's tongue became tied. His face turned red with frustration and embarrassment as Marlene let a few giggles slip. He looked at her with sad eyes.

"I know… I'm terrible."

"No, that's not it at all. I actually thought it was kind of cute."

Marlene looked into Gen's eyes. A gentle smile spread across her face.

"So, I guess you are a young poet?"

Gen somberly shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"No, I'm just brilliant with words. You know someone who can miraculously, astonishingly, and phenomenally put the precise words together with other words."

Marlene's bell like laughter filled the room. Gen faintly smiled. His eyes trailed back to the window.

"It's stopped raining." His said sadly. "You better go now."

Marlene picked up both crystalline plates and walked towards the door.

"Marlene." Gen called.

Marlene turned back into the room. Gen looked at her from the bed; his eyes were swimming with emotions, the very same emotions that he showed the night he arrived. There was pain, aching, sorrow, and sadness reflecting in his eyes. He took a shallow breath and exhaled.

"Thank you."


	7. Chapter 7

Pure Hearts

Ch.6

Painful Memories

Gen lay on his bed, staring out into the cold night looking at the pale moon. His heart throbbed and ached inside his chest. His eyes were on the verge of the deep emotions inside of him threatening to transform into the form of tears. He could not get rid of the haunting memories running through his mind. Thoughts of his mother flooded back to him.

"_Mother…why, why?"_ his hurt voice echoed through his mind.

His mind flew back to his mother's warm arms. Her green eyes full of compassion, patience, and love. Here comforting voice that felt like a warm blanket just out of the drier. She was the only person in his life that truly cared about, and loved him. She had tried her best as a single mom to care for her son, and to gen that was always enough, but with all the joyful memories came the sorrowful memories.

His mother ran into his room, her face covered in fear. She grabbed gen by the arm and threw him out the back door. Explosions boomed.

"_**Gen, run!"**_

"_Mom what's-"_

"_**Now! Go! Run now!"**_

Gen ran, thorny bushes tore at his clothes and shins, but he still ran. An explosion behind him threw him into the air. He crashed onto the ground. He looked back into the fire that was once his home, his heart hammered, he started to pant. He fled again as he heard his mother's dying screams behind him.

Gen's fingers clutched the cream, colored bed sheets; he could no longer hold back the tears as they trickled like rain down his cheeks. Soft sobs escaped his lips as more words flooded into his mind.

"_Why? Why did you have to die, you left me here alone, I have nowhere else to go… I…"_

The tears flowed faster from his cheeks, he sobbed, praying that no one else was there to listen.

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Zack tiptoed down the hall, carefully trying not to slip on the cold, smooth, wooden floor. The shiny, grey, to-big solider mask clanking against his head, he held his plastic sword behind his back as if off in the marshes of Gaia on a top secret mission.

"I'm zack." He whispered to himself. "Solder, 1st class. I'm on a mission to defeat the world's greatest enemy."

Zack silently peaked into Gen's room, seeing gen once again looking out his window not having a care in the world, he grinned naively.

"_Ha-ha! I have cornered him."_ his mind shouted in triumph.

Zack's heart thumped against his ribs, adrenaline rushed through him as he charged into the room. He pointed his sword at gen.

"I've got you! Your finished Sephiroth!"

Gen looked down at the little boy, a thin smile spread across his face as he saw zack struggle to keep his mask from falling off.

"well." Gen said in a teasing tone. "If I'm Sephiroth, then who are-"

"ZACK!" cloud yelled from the door.

Zack slowly turned around; fear filled his eyes behind the mask.

"Yes dad?"

"I've told you to never, ever use that name in this house!"

"But, but, but dad I was just pretending that I was your old friend zack, and I was on my way to defeating-"

"No zack." Cloud knelt down next do his son. Zack's eyes started to brim with tears. Cloud gently wiped them away.

"I'm sorry zack. I shouldn't have treated you that way, but I just want you to understand that I don't even want you pretending "he" is around. One day perhaps, you will fully understand."

Zack gave a nod. Solely dragging his sword he left the room. Cloud stood and turned toward gen.

"You are not to encourage him to use that name." cloud snapped.

"I'm sorry sir; I didn't know it was against the rules. Please accept my apology, it won't happen again."

Cloud turned to leave, but stopped mid-step. Something came across his mind; he started to wonder wither his theories and ideas were true. Slowly looking over his shoulder he called to gen. once he had Gen's attention he whispered.

"What do you know about Sephiroth? Anything? Anything at all?"

Gen's hand clenched into a fist, his eyes widened with something more than fear, but disappeared just as quick. His breathing had nearly come to a stop.

"No." he choked. "I don't know anything about Sephiroth."

Cloud heard the strain in Gen's voice he question him again.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I know absolutely, utterly, completely nothing about this Sephiroth."

Cloud paused considering Gen's answer, he started to turn, but went into the hall. Gen ran to the door just in time to see that cloud's pace had quickened as he reached the end of the hall and down the stairs.


	8. Chapter 8

Pure Hearts

Ch.7

Gifts

Gen's body grew stronger as time passed on. Many of his muscles had started to turn slender and thin, but strong. Fall had turned into winter, the rich, vivid, vibrant display of multicolored leaves had been buried buy heaps and heaps of cold, white snow. Many of the children had enjoyed their winter treats, and went out every day they could play. Even gen had gone out to stretch his legs, and walk on the cold, stone path around the cottage.

The sun had not even risen over the snow, peaked hills. Gen woke on the cool, crisp morning. He got himself out of bed and dressed in his usual, black outfit. Quietly shutting the door behind him he traveled down the creaky stairs, careful not to disturb anyone. The sun hadn't even breached the top of the dark, grey hills when he went outside.

The cold air wrapped around his hands making them tingle. He sucked in the cool, rich, clean air and slowly exhaled, watching his breath turn into mist. He smiled, remembering how many times his mother used to take him on walks like this.

Gen started to continue before he heard the snow crunch behind him; he turned to see Marlene walking towards him. Marlene had wrapped her arms around herself; she wore a thick, heavy, maroon, winter coat. Her teeth chattered as she spoke.

"I don't know how you do it. How do you stay warm with so little on?"

"I don't know either." Gen replied walking towards her. "What I do know is that you look like your freezing, so let's go back inside."

Gen and Marlene quickly walked back to the orphanage. He opened the door for her letting her inside. He gently grabbed Marlene's coat, helping her pull it off. Marlene gave him a fleeting look of thanks before she walked into another room. Gen slowly followed behind, gen marveled at the bright, colorful Christmas tree in the center of the huge round room. A mountain of presents and gifts lay underneath the tree. Marlene sat on a huge, fluffy, green couch.

Gen eye brows lifted as he saw Marlene pat the seat next to her, his fingers twitched nervously, he looked around the room. Marlene smiled as he slowly, and cautiously came towards her.

"It's ok, gen." she said as he sat down. "Cloud doesn't get up till 7:00 on Christmas, and that's the earliest he'll get up."

Gen slowly nodded his head, his finger started to tap on his leg. He looked at Marlene, his eyes full with emotions. Marlene could see that he was trying to think of something to say. Gen's tongue started to become dry.

"Marlene… I, I need to tell you… well, something."

Marlene looked at him with puzzlement. Her brown eyes blinked with confusion.

"What do you need to tell me?"

Gen looked towards the pile of presents, trying to avoid her gaze. His throat became blocked, his tongue became tied, he slowly inhaled through his nostrils, trying to regain some control.

"Well…" his voice barely perceptible as he whispered. "I was just thinking that when spring comes… I was going to… well, leave."

Marlene's shoulders dropped, her smile disappeared. She looked down at her lap, holding her hands together.

"Oh, well… I didn't know you didn't like it here." She said sadly.

"No, no it's not that at all." He said taking one of her hands. "I mean, I do like it here Marlene, I really do. It's just I don't feel like I belong here and I just wish… that somebody would… it's hard to explain."

Marlene looked into his eyes; she noticed that they were filled with something like worry instead of pain.

"Well… I would like you to stay." She said warmly. "There aren't many other… well, people here my age. And I thought we were friends."

Gen held her hand tighter in his. Marlene could feel his muscles starting to shake from the strain.

"Marlene you are my friend, I like being with you. It's just… well I don't think you would understand, about… well, who I am."

Marlene gave him a stern look. "I don't judge people gen. everyone deserves a second chance. I only know that you are a good person, and I don't think that you would do anything bad to us."

Gen slowly slid his hand back into his lap, his head turned away. Marlene sighed in frustration. She looked through the pile of presents, reaching down she picked up a rectangular, shaped present wrapped in shiny, green, wrapping paper. She threw it onto Gen's lap as she got up to leave. She turned to him at the door way.

"Just think about it. And if you do decide to leave, and then at least walk with me one more time when spring comes, I do love the flowers in spring time."

Marlene left the room without another word. Gen picked up the present, shaking it. No noise came. He tore off the paper. A little black book lay inside, it's smooth, black, leather binding smelled like fresh leather and paper. Silver lines on its border reflected as the sun's first golden rays came up over the hills, shedding in through the window. He felt the smooth, engraved, silver letters at the bottom of the cover spelling "Gen Gretes". He opened the cover to the first page, a little yellow note stuck out against the fresh, clean white page. He slowly read the inky, black words written on the note.

_**Hey gen, Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!**_

_**I got you this journal so that you can write all your ideas and poems inside, I really hope you know that everyone is glad to have you here, especially tifa. She can't thank you enough for all the help you've done. I hope you like it.**_

Your friend,

Marlene.

Gen smiled. His whole life he had gone without on Christmas, but in his heart, he could feel warmth, a small warmth that he had not felt for years, ever sense his mother had died.

"_How can I feel again, for years I've lived in fear… but now… I'm starting to feel like I belong again."_


	9. Chapter 9

Pure Hearts

Ch.8

Bad Blood

Time seemed to pass quicker than ever before. The sun had begun to stay in the days longer; the mountainous pile of snow had begun to dwindle into large puddles. Many of the spring birds had come back to rebuilt the old, messy nests after their long journey south. The flowers had begun to slowly slither their way out from the muddy ground, spring was on the way.

It was the middle of March when most of the snow, and puddles were gone. The flowers in the old church had risen to their fullest height, but none of them would bloom their delicate yellow pedals.

Many nights gen had lain awake, his mind buzzing, thinking, and wondering. Over and over he had argued with himself about leaving. For years he had been running from his fears, his troubles, and his nightmares just to find his next meal, or a quiet place to sleep in a dirty street, for years he had dreamed of that night where his mother had been burned, and had perished in the flames.

But now he felt different, he started to feel for the first time in years… happy. Somewhere inside of him, he had also begun to have soft, passionate feelings for Marlene. Day by day it had become hard for him not to be with her, every time she had to go somewhere he would only count down the minuets until she would come home, but also doubt started to fill his aching heart. How could he let go of his mother? He wasn't sure if he could.

Gen's boots clomped on the smooth, tiled, kitchen floor. He rubbed his fingers on the smooth, blue paint that decorated the green walls. Gen looked at a small shelve full of small jars full of herbs, he enjoyed all of their scents. He took in the scent of mint, oregano, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and many others. The scents always lifted his spirit, giving him enough confidence to go on.

Gen was crushing some mint leaves in between his thumbs; the mint began to make his skin tickle. He heard fast footsteps approaching the white door that led out directly to tifa's garden. Zack slammed the door wide open, he kept gasping for air as he spoke, trying to catch his breath.

"Marlene… she's ... in trouble!" he shouted as he grasped the door for support.

Gen's eyes widened, he ran over to zack grabbing him by the arm and ran outside. Zack struggled to pull free, but only succeeded into making his arm sore.

"What are you doing?!" he shouted as he desperately tried to keep up with gen. "my legs are starting to hurt."

Without slowing gen replied.

"You are taking me to Marlene; I'm going to help her!"

*********************************************************************************************************************************

Marlene's eyes flickered back and forth, desperately trying to find a gap in between the four men who had cornered her. Her knuckles turned white from clutching her small staff.

"Come on guys… back off!" she shouted as her staff extended to the length of her body, it's silver, blue sheen gleaming in the sun. The leader pulled out a large, silver, switch knife. His grey eyes looking hungrily at her, he kept looking all over her body.

"Oh, come on baby." He said as he stepped closer to her, his long, light, blonde hair, falling over his shoulders. "We just want a taste of that sweet body of yours."

Two bald, blue-eyed twins laughed at the comment. The leader reached for Marlene's arm. Marlene swung her staff, striking her opponent on his right cheek. He yelled in pain, gripping his face as he backed away. A younger man grabbed his own knife; his red, spiked hair looked like flame on his skull.

"So, you think you can treat my brother like that?" he growled as he steeped closer. "Well unlike him, I like a woman with a little fight in her."

"Marlene!" gen shouted running up to them.

The men turned, they started whispering to each other as gen ran up to Marlene, gently grabbing her arm.

"Marlene, are you ok?" he asked her, his eyes glaring at the men.

Yea, yea I'm fine gen." she replied slowly releasing her grip on her staff. The red haired man looked directly at gen, a malicious smile spread across his pale face.

"Hey, seth." He said looking at his blonde brother. "Look who it is."

Seth lowered his hand from his freshly, bruised cheek. His eyebrows lifted, he lifted his knife, making it glisten in the sun.

"Well, well, well… we thought we'd never see you again. Especially with what happened after that fire."

Gen remained silent; he bit his lip to keep himself from speaking, always standing in front of Marlene. Seth gave a low, throaty chuckle.

"You see, miss." He said looking at Marlene. "This scrawny, piece of trash grew up with us, yes; he grew up with my brother and me in our small village. He was always hiding behind his prostitute of a mother."

A deep growl gurgled deep in Gen's throat. Marlene grabbed his arm, holding him back as Seth continued.

"Yea, she was always going around like a dog in heat, right zatch?"

Zatch cocked his head smugly, he laughed as he mocked gen.

"Yea, that's right. So miss, you really don't, or should I say, shouldn't hang out with someone with who has… well… bad, diseased, polluted blood. Or in other words… a bastard."

Gen's cheeks burned, his heart pounded in his chest with anger. He forced himself to close his eyes and take a deep breath. He slowly opened them as he exhaled. He walked to the other side of the ring the men had formed, making sure Marlene was out. He looked straight into Seth's eyes. His blue eyes piercing the grey, his body shook with anger as he spoke.

"Now listen, seth. You can say whatever you want about me, and I'll take it. But if I ever hear you speak about my mother like that again, and if you even dare to touch Marlene, you will deal with me, and trust me… I don't leave until some blood has been spilt."

Gen turned to leave, following Marlene. Seth threw his knife at gen; gen blocked his face with his arms. The blade stabbed into his lower arm just above the wrist. Gen screamed in pain, zatch raised his own knife stabbing gen in the shoulder blade. Seth's malicious smile returned.

"There's only one person who blood will spill from, and that's from you genesis!"


	10. Chapter 10

Pure Hearts

Ch.9

Nightmares

Gen's body screamed with pain. Every cell in his body shot with adrenaline, and rage. Seth lifted up his knife to strike again, as he was about to strike gen spun around with incredible agility, and speed grabbing Seth's arm and pinning it against his back. He pinned Seth's arm harder, and harder making Seth squeal, he was a loud crack. Seth screamed in pain as gen let go. Seth backed away cradling his broken arm. Zatch charged towards gen, raising his knife.

"You whelp! You think you can-"

Zatch didn't have time to dodge Gen's punch to his abdomen; he clutched his stomach gasping for breath. Gen kicked zatch to the ground. Gen pulled roughly on zatch's hair. Forcing zatch to look into his eyes, zatch's face went pale with terror.

"What, what the he-"

Gen through zatch into a muddy pile. The twins charged towards him, he quickly spun around grabbing both their faces, knocking their heads together they crumpled to the ground. Gen's fierce eyes flashed at zatch, full of anger and pain like a wounded wolf.

A low, deep growl erupted from Gen's throat as he spoke in a dark, sinister tone.

"Take your friends… and go, unless you're asking for a death wish that will be granted very quickly if you don't."

Zatch pushed himself out of the sticky mud, he ran over to his brother helping him cradle his arm. They both gave one last, fleeting look before fleeing down the street. Gen turned to face Marlene; small pools of blood had started to flow down the street. Warm blood steamed in the cool air on his arm and back. His breathing became labored as he walked towards her. Marlene gently placed his arm onto her shoulders to help him stand. She could feel his muscles strain from pain with every step they took; each step became more arduous for him to keep standing.

Gen's legs had begun to give; they were in front of a huge, majestic church. Marlene knew this church well, it had once belonged to her old friend aireth.

"Marlene… I can't… go on much longer."

"It's ok gen, just get inside the church, and then you can rest ok?"

Gen leg slipped beneath him, he started to crumble to the ground. Marlene finger's clung to his sleeve and his shirt desperately trying to get him to stand.

"Come on gen, it's not that much farther."

Gen legs shook from the strain, he shouted in pain as he forced himself to stand. Thunder began to rage in the skies, Marlene pushed open one of the church doors helping gen inside. There were rows upon rows of dark, brown, wooden, sitting benches. A pool barely glimmered in the light at the front of the church, covered with pedals of white and yellow flowers floating and the clean, pure, water's surface. A huge spot grew the same white and yellow flowers next to the pool.

Marlene half walked, half dragged gen over to one f the benches. He slid off her shoulders onto the bench. He groaned as Marlene began to tear his clothes away from the hot, sticky, bloody wounds on his arm and back. She reached into her light, blue bag. Pulling out a small, white box with a red cross painted on the cover. She grabbed white, soft bandage wrap from inside, along with scissors and a yellow powder. She pounded the powder onto Gen's torn flesh, and muscles. The flow of the blood slowed. The smell of sweat and blood bean to make her mind whirl, gen looked down at her. Drops of sweat dropped into his mouth as he tried to speak through labored breaths.

"Marlene… its ok… I'll be fine, just go."

"Not until I wrap up these wounds, and not until your well enough to at least walk back home."

A crash of thunder nearly blocked out her words, the rain started to pour down as she began to shiver from the cold. She soon finished patching up Gen's wounds. Gen stiffly pulled of his black, leather, solider coat wrapping it around Marlene, she started to resist, he gently put his fingers to her lips.

"You need it more than I do, you're cold… so don't try to tell me you're not."

"No it's just that… let's just share." She replied.

Marlene threw the coat over both of them; she desperately tried to crunch her legs up without falling off the bench. She blinked in surprise as gen gently wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer, and gently coaxing her to lay her head down on his shoulder so she could stretch herself out on the bench.

"It's ok." He whispered "We're friends right, so we can be like this until the rain stops so we can head back."

Marlene reluctantly placed her head on his shoulder, her arm felt heat, rushing, and coursing through his clothes. She felt gen place his head back. Soon she closed her eyes to let sleep take her.

She stood within swirling, vaporous mist, the mist curled through her fingers and hair. She saw a dark shape heading towards her through the mist. A long, slender hand and arm reached for her. The arm became solidified with a body, and a sweet, caring face. Long auburn hair was tied into a long braid, a pink bow sat on top of the woman's head. Beautiful, blue eyes looked at Marlene. Marlene's eyes began to brim with tears.

"Aireth… you're here."

Marlene started to step towards her, but she stepped back in terror as her old friend began to transform. Aireth's face became pale and wrathful; her brown hair lightened to white, her skin became blue as claws erupted from her finger tips. Marlene screamed; she ran away from the terrifying creature. Black feathers started to fall from the mist, she ran and ran until her lungs and legs couldn't take any more. Blood started to flow towards her through the mist, her heart leaped to her throat as cloud, tifa, and zack's heads rolled towards her. Another dark figure walked through the mist, his long, silver sword stained with fresh, warm blood. He grinned wickedly as he lifted his blade to strike Marlene.

"Marlene!"

Marlene woke, her clothes soaked with perspiration, she was back in the church. She lay on the stiff bench; gen looked at her with eyes full of concern.

"Marlene are you ok?" he asked helping her to sit up.

Marlene's mind whirled; the dream had been so vivid, so real. She could still smell the blood, her heart still felt up in her throat. She looked out one of the church windows, grateful for the return of the sun.

"I'm fine gen… it just was a bad dream."

Gen grabbed Marlene's hands helping her stand; he started to walk towards the door.

"Well let's go then, cloud will be wondering what's happened to you."


	11. Chapter 11

Pure Hearts

Ch.10

Cloud's Theory

Cloud gazed out of a second floor window, watching the sun streak lines of red, and pink into the clouds as it gradually sank below the hills the dark, grey hills. He looked down the dirt road leading into town; Marlene and gen were slowly walking back. Cloud had begun to notice Gen's growing interest in Marlene. Every time he saw her laugh, smile, feel happy more doubt, and fear filled his mind. For months his mind had raced, wondering about Gen's true identity. He saw them approach the door, gen let Marlene inside before closing it behind him. Cloud walked away from the darkening window, grabbing his sword he knelt down on one knee, feeling the touch of the cold, smooth medal he said a silent prayer.

"_By the goddess, let her forgive me if I'm wrong."_

Cloud stood p leaving the room; he slowly walked down the hall and stairs. The scent of warm, spicy soup filled his nose as e walked past the kitchen; two of the orphans were engrossed in a game of "Solder Chess", he entered a small room with two chairs facing towards a stain, glass window. The window created the image of aerith and his oldest friend zack. Zack had died protecting him, he never felt the guilt totally lifted, but had healed with more time that had past. He looked out the window; tifa was busy hanging clothes, trying to get them dry with the new warm breeze of winter thaw.

"Marlene!" he shouted. "Come here, I need to talk to you!"

Still looking out the window he saw gen go out to tifa, he started helping her hang up the entire orphan's laundry. He heard Marlene's soft footsteps approaching. Marlene peaked through the door; she saw the sun's last rays glisten in cloud's blonde hair. She opened the door.

"Come in, and shut the door behind you please." He said turning towards her. Marlene could see he was thinking, she slowly closed the door behind her, she looked into cloud's blue eyes, they were darker than Gen's but shone with infused mako of all solder.

"Yes cloud, what do you need?" she asked as she sat down on the nearest, green, fluffy chair. Cloud's chin rested on his hand. He looked straight at Marlene so she could not escape his gaze.

"I need you to tell me everything that happened today, don't leave out any details."

Marlene's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but with a deep breath she told the story of all that had happened, how Seth and zatch had tried to attack her, how gen had come to her rescue, what happened in the church during the storm.

"… and then after I woke up from that nightmare, we just headed home. She concluded, starting to rise from the chair. "What's wrong cloud? What's going on?"

Cloud looked up from his thinking, his eyes full of concern, and worry.

"Are you sure they said genesis?"

"Positive cloud" Marlene replied.

She saw cloud's jaw begin to tense, his eyes widened at the name. His mind was racing; he could barely keep his emotion under control. Cloud stood from his sheet and closed the blinds behind him. Marlene also stood as he walked over to her.

"Marlene." He started in a whisper. "I want you to stay away from gen; he's going to leave next month whether he likes it or not."

Marlene jumped out of her seat, her eyes flashed with anger and confusion; she stood in front of the door.

"What the hell is wrong with you cloud?! Gen is fine, it's not like he's bad enough to-"

"I'm not saying he is, but I will not put our family at risk."

Marlene clenched her fists.

"Risk against what cloud? He has done nothing to you that would-"

Cloud's face turned red, he began to shout drowning out any of Marlene's objections.

"Everything that I've seen, everything that I've heard tonight suggest that, suggest that boy is the spawn of the demon calamity! I will not have the spawn of Jenova hurt anyone in my family! I've dealt with it all my life! Jenova killed my mother! Zack! And did you forget that it killed Aerith! No Marlene! I will not risk it!"

Marlene didn't back down, her face started to turn red, her cheeks started to burn.

"Gen isn't like that! He hasn't hurt anybody on purpose!"

Cloud stepped past Marlene starting to open the door.

"Have you asked him? Has he told you he hasn't?"

Marlene's throat became dry, she had just realized how little she actually knew about gen. her hands slowly uncurled her fists as cloud opened the door.

"That's what I thought." He whispered as he left the room.

Marlene could only stand there; she didn't know what to think. She wanted to tear her doubting heart away; she could feel the warm, wet tears start to streak down her face. Her feet took control as she ran out of the room, she grabbed her coat, tears began to stream faster from her eyes as she ran out into the night.


	12. Chapter 12

Pure Hearts

Ch.11

Old Oak Tree

"_Come on and help me gen, oh! I'll help gen don't worry!_ Yeah right." Gen mumbled under his breath.

Gen pulled out a large cream-colored sheet; pulling a pin out of his mouth he quickly clipped a corner of the sheet on the small, blue clothes line. The sky was cloudy; the grey clouds had covered the moon as it began to rise above the dark, grey hills. A soft, warm breeze blew, rustling the new, green leaves in the trees and lifting the hung cloths on the lines.

Gen had hung the final sheet. He took a deep breath, exhaling in triumph. He began to pick up the blue, clothes basket when he heard a sobbing sound. Dropping the basket he listened, the sobs came again louder this time. Looking around he walked onto the cold, smooth sidewalk tracking down the source of the sobs. An old, grey oak groaned as the breeze grew stronger, it's mighty boughs swayed, and danced with the wind. Gen slowly walked around the strong trunk, on the other side he saw Marlene. Her hands were cupping her knees tight to her chest, her head buried in the folds of her coat sobbing. Gen slowly began to walk up to her.

"Marlene? Are you ok?" he asked as he reached her.

Marlene gradually lifted her head. Her cheeks and eyes were bright red from all her sobbing, her lips quivered as she looked into Gen's eyes. She could barely speak through her sobs.

"No gen… I'm not fine, but… I don't think there's anything… you can do."

Marlene reburied her face within the soft folds of her coat. Gen sat down beside her, desperately trying to think of a way to comfort her. His throat turned dry. He coughed trying to get the invisible lump out of his throat.

"Marlene… I…"

Marlene only began to sob harder. Gen's heart pounded and throbbed inside his chest. He gently wrapped his arm around Marlene's shoulders. His whole body shook from nervousness. He could feel marlene scoot closer to his side, she lifted her face up to his. Gen slowly exhaled as he lifted up his hand, gently wiping away a tear from her face. Sweet, tender words began to flow from his lips.

"_oh, wipe those tears of your face._

_Oh, sweet angel of peace, and grace._

_Mend thy broken wings, and tired heart._

_Then go on caring, for mortals apart."_

Marlene's eyes again brimmed with tears; she started to sob again, letting herself fall onto his chest. Gen fully embraced her, holding her more tightly, closer to him. her fingers gripped the folds of his shirt, she listened to the steady, gently beat of his heart.

For hours they stayed like this in the warm night, even as the moon raised high in the dark sky behind the clouds, nothing else mattered. Marlene was happy as long as gen continued to hold her tightly in his arms. The clouds had become blacker than the sky, thunder boomed in the distance. Gen felt a small, drop of rain land on his cheek; he looked up at the sky watching lightening light up the dark clouds with steaks of blinding white.

"Marlene." Gen said as he gently coaxed her to sit up, realizing her of his warm embrace. "Marlene it's time to go."

"you're damn right it's time to go!" an angry voice shouted behind them.

Gen and marlene jumped to their feet, they watched as cloud quickly walked towards them. Cloud's eyes flashed with anger as he drew his sword.

"Cloud don't!" marlene shouted, trying to stand in his way.

Cloud raised his sword to gin's throat, his eyes and lips twitched with anger and contempt.

"if you go now, I'll let this slide and won't hold it against you, and don't think of coming back." he said as his jaw began to tighten. "and you stay away from marlene!"

Cloud's cold blade touched gen's skin. Gen eyes anxiously looked from cloud to marlene and back to cloud again. Cloud's cheeks began to burn with impatience.

"GO!" he screamed putting his arm in front of marlene.

Gen gave one last fleeting look at marlene as he backed away, the thunder and rain drowned out marlene's cries as he fled into the dark, wet, night.

Gen ran as fast as he could, memories of fire and screams flooded back into his mind, the rain stung his eyes, his feet kept slipping through the slick muddy road. His heart pounded in his chest, his legs began to shake from the burden they carried.

**********************************************************

Marlene started to chase after gen; a strong arm grabbed her, holding her back.

"cloud let go!"

"No marlene! I told you to stay away, now he's using the mind tricks on you!"

Marlene finally pulled free from his grip; she cupped her hands together trying to shout over the roaring thunder.

"come back!" she shouted as tears filled her eyes. "please come back!"

No one shouted back, only the sound of the storm raged on. Marlene looked back at cloud. Her eyes full of grief and sorrow.

"how could you? how could you do this cloud?"

"I'm protecting you marlene! You! zack! Tifa! Everyone!"

"you don't understand cloud! He wasn't using mind tricks on me; he was trying to be a friend to me. He's never had a true friend in his life! and now you've taken any chance for him to heal and move on from him!"

"what the hell are you talking about?"

"he lost his mother cloud! He was only nine when it happened! You know cloud; you are not so different from him."

Cloud's tongue became tied, he turned back toward the path where gen had fled, his anger started to be replaced by shame.

"marlene… I didn't-"

Marlene had gone; cloud saw her run back down the road toward the orphanage. Cloud made more silent prayers to the goddess, begging for mercy and forgiveness from marlene.


	13. Chapter 13

Pure Hearts

Ch.12

Bed sheets

The orphanage had remained quiet for the next few days; Marlene had shut herself in her room. Say and night she wouldn't come out. Cloud had tried his best to ask her forgiveness, but her lips hadn't parted sense that cold night. For the next few nights Marlene would wake up screaming or crying from the terrifying nightmares.

The flowers had bloomed full and beautiful through the city streets of midgar. Many children always stopped to take in their sweet scents. The spring had finally arrived bringing new life and hope to the plants, animals, and people. Tifa wiped her brow, she had been planting small, white seeds in her garden all morning, many of the seeds took to the ground and healthy, rich, green shoots had begun to shoot from the ground. After standing up she exhaled in relive, the garden finally had been fully planted. Pulling off her dirt covered yellow gloves she went inside the kitchen door. Her brown eyes scanned the kitchen for any sign of Marlene.

"She hasn't come out of her room yet." Cloud said as he walked into the room. Placing his hand on the counter he looked down at his boots. Tifa's face became stern, her elbows lifted as she crossed her arms.

"So what are you going to do about it?" she asked walking over to him.

Cloud lifted his head somberly.

"Be patient, she'll come to." He replied looking into tifa's eyes.

Her eyebrows furrowed, she threatened to stand on one of his feet.

"Cloud, that's not going to work. The problem is that you think that _your way_, is the only way in your book. And honestly, it's got to stop."

Cloud breathed in deeply, he looked up at the ceiling trying to think of a reply, after all these years he had learned not to argue with tifa, he slowly looked back into her eyes.

"Yes, I know tifa. I just don't want to see my family hurt, and you know that better than anyone else."

Tifa raised her hand, gently brushing away his long bangs away from his blue eyes.

"Yes I do cloud, but you need to think about the affects of your actions, think of it just like when you went to save the kids from kadaj all those years ago. You need to fully let go of the past so you won't be afraid any more, and sense I'm the only person that knows you the best, I know you can do it."

A small smile spread across his face, he silently chuckled to himself.

"Yea, otherwise you would pound it into my head, or beat me until I do." He replied smiling.

Tifa smiled at his remark, she gently kissed his forehead, and she reached to a white countertop grabbing a small, black, leather book handing it to cloud.

"This was Gen's, take it up to Marlene, it may help. Oh, and cloud I also wanted to talk to you about the soil outside."

Cloud looked up from the silver letters, his eyes flashed with confusion, but quickly left.

"What's wrong tifa?"

Well, it's just that I only watered the garden an hour before I planted all the seeds in; it was as dry as old bones by the time I got back. It's like as if something sucking the life out of the soil."

Cloud shook his head.

"The neighbors have been complaining about the same thing, I look into it tifa. I promise."

Cloud started to head up the stairs, his mind raced with things he could say to Marlene, he only heard the clomping of his boots on the smooth, wooden floor. He reached Marlene's door, nervously he reached up and knocked.

"Marlene? Marlene can I come in?" he asked trying not to swallow his words.

No answer came from behind the door, his fingers twitched as he placed them on the doorknob.

"Marlene… I know I've done you wrong, please let me come in so we can talk."

Still no answer came; he started to twist the knob, slowly pushing the door open.

"I brought you something; I was hoping it would-"

Cloud's eyes widened as the door opened. The small book fell to the ground as cloud ran back down the stairs. A warm breeze blew through the window, blowing cream-colored bed sheets that had been tied to the end of a long black, pole on the edge of a dresser.


	14. Chapter 14

Pure Hearts

Ch.13

Silver Light

The sky had turned into a colorful rainbow of red, orange, purple, blue, and pink in the fading hour of twilight. Marlene's feet pulsed with pain, she had searched the entire city looking for gen. asking anybody on the street, down every ally way. There was no sign of gen in sector 8 and 5 of midgar, Marlene stopped to sit on the front steps in front of the church she knew so well. Pulling off her mud covered, white tennis shoes she gently started to rub the underside of her tender feet. She watched the moon swiftly climb high into the sky as the last streaks of pink slowly faded to blue. The moon bathed the church's white stone in silver light. Marlene sighed as she stiffly stood up.

"_Well, I guess I'll stay here for the night. Cloud's probably figured out I'm gone by now. Where could have gen possibly gone?"_

Marlene stretched her legs, dusting off the fresh dirt off her pants. Her tired feet struggled to walk up the five stone steps leading to the wide, amber, majestic doors. Placing her shoes on the outside she pushed open the door, slowly closing it behind her. The light of the moon immersed through a wide hole in the ceiling. The pool of pure, clean water sparkled and danced in the moon light. The flowers had bloomed to their fullest. Marlene's eyes widened as she saw a dark mass curled up in the center of the flowers. The mass stirred as the creaking sound of the door closing echoed through the church. She saw a pair of arms lift the person up, he looked at her with piercing light, blue eyes.

"Gen!" she cried as she ran towards him. "You were here! All this time you came here!"

Gen's face filled with color, a joyful smile spread across his face as he jumped to his feet, he caught marlene fully embracing her. The stood there in the silver moonlight amongst the bright, full white and yellow flowers.

"I can't believe _you're here_." He said as he released her. "I mean, why on earth were you looking for me Marlene? What's going on? And cloud said-"

"I snuck away; cloud doesn't know where I am yet. But it probably won't be long until he figures out I've gone here. He'll be probably by tomorrow morning."

"Well that still doesn't explain "why" you're looking for me."

Marlene's smile faded, she gently grabbed his sleeve. They both sat down together in the flowers. Their sweet, tangy aroma filled the air around them. Marlene's fingers started to twitch nervously as she tried to think of the right words to say.

"Gen… cloud said some things about you, before I went outside to the oak tree where you found me. Which is why I looked for you, I need to know… I need you to be completely honest with me."

Gen didn't respond, after a few minutes he slowly nodded, looking into Marlene's deep, caring, brown eyes. Marlene exhaled before she spoke.

"Gen I need to know… do you have any idea who Genesis Raphsodous is? Who Sephiroth is? Or even anything about…Jenova?"

Gen remained silent, his head lowered somberly. He gently grabbed Marlene's hands, brushing his thumbs, feeling her smooth skin.

"Marlene… I want you to trust me, but I can't… I can only tell you that the answer to your question I yes, I do know all those people you're speaking about. One hungered for fame and glory, but was always jealous of the other, another fell into despair and fell into madness becoming a tool of destruction… and the other was the devil's curse upon this planet, the calamity that fell from the sky."

Marlene gently raised her hand, brushing his bangs away from his beautiful eyes; they were full of sadness and sorrow, trapped by an unknown pain.

"Can… can you tell me how you know this gen?"

"No… I can't."

Gen's hands began to shake vigorously; his heart ached, and throbbed underneath his ribs. He slowly reached up to Marlene's face, brushing his warm fingers on her smooth cheek. Marlene grabbed his hand, to ease the shaking. She gently placed his hand on the side of her face. Gen throat became dry, he tried to gulp and chew the words. He watched as Marlene's hair glowed in the silver moonlight.

"Marlene… you, you remind me so much of my mother, her name was Resia Gretes. I still remember her coal, black hair and sparkling green eyes, many of the people in our village despised her because… she was indeed a prostitute. But after she had me, she changed. Marlene… I just want you to know that I have never intentionally hurt someone; there have been too many accidents that have happened around me for anyone to believe that I'm innocent. And through the last few months, I've learned how to find true happiness again, but I still feel because of who I am that…"

The remaining words clogged in his throat. His face drained of any color. He gently brushed the side of Marlene cheek again, he gasped for air as he moved closer to Marlene, his face gradually moved towards hers until his lips gently touched hers. He felt Marlene's arms wrap around him as he embraced her. New tenderness spread from Gen's chest, spreading into every cell of his body.

As their lips separated marlene looked into his eyes, she slowly closed her eyes as she laid her head onto his chest, he gently curled her soft hair through his fingers, he pulled her closer as he laid down on his side, their faces felt the gentle flower pedals. Marlene looked into Gen's bright blue eyes. For the first time she saw something other than sadness, or sorrow brew within them. There was happiness in place of the pain. Both of them glowed with the moon's silver light before sleep pulled them both into darkness.


	15. Chapter 15

Pure Hearts

Ch.14

Black Feathers

The first soft, golden rays of sunlight gently touched and warmed Marlene's face. She slowly opened her eyes, feeling her eyelashes brush against the soft, delicate, silky white pedals of the flower next to her. Gen was still lying beside her; she could feel his relaxed breathing on his chest as he slept. His silver hair reflected a white sheen in the warm, soft sunlight.

Marlene yawned as she sat herself up, watching Gen's arm slowly fall onto the ground; she stretched her arms toward the pure, blue sky. She saw a thin, grey cloud pass over head out of the ceiling's hole. She could feel her stiff leg muscles stretch, and pull as she stood.

She yawned again as she walked towards the door. She covered her eyes, blocking out the sunlight for a few seconds, lowering her hands she inhaled the crisp, morning air. She bent down to pick up her dirty tennis shoes when she saw some people behind some rose bushes, her eyes widened as she recognized the flaming, red, spiked hair. Zatch was being followed by for, muscular, tall men. They all had their hair dyed black and cut short; they wore sleeveless shirts showing off their powerful muscles. All of them were heading towards the church doors.

Marlene quickly shut the door behind her; she could hear their footsteps quickly approaching.

"Gen!" she cried as she ran towards him. "Gen we need to-"

Her words were swallowed as the door slammed open; two of the brawny men closed the door behind them, zatch's face contorted in anger as he saw Marlene.

"That's her!" he shouted pointing at Marlene. "The one who snuck in here last night, get her!"

Gen's eyes burst open; he jumped to his feet right in front of Marlene, trying to shield her from two of the huge brutes. Both of them grabbed Gen's arms pinning them to his back, Marlene tried to pull one of them off. The man grunted as he shook her off like a fly. She landed on the floor; her hand grazed the pure water's surface. Zatch grabbed her pulling her to up to stand throwing her into the other men's grip.

"Zatch don't!" gen screamed as he tried to break away. "Don't you dare try hurting her?"

Zatch twirled around punching gen square in the face; he grabbed Gen's face making him look into his cold, flaming, green eyes as a small trickle of blood flowed down Gen's lip.

"You broke my brother's arm whelp! And now it's time for pay back!" zatch looked over to Marlene pulling out his long, silver, switch blade. "Starting with her." he growled as he spat in Gen's face.

He started to walk over to Marlene, twirling his blade in between his fingers. A high, pitched screeching sound erupted in Gen's mind. He could feel his heart beginning to beat rapidly, fire burned through his veins.

Zatch reached out grabbing the top of Marlene's white shirt, breathing in the scent of the flowers from the night before. He smiled wickedly. Gen could feel her heart's pulse quicken, he looked at her seeing fear fill her beautiful eyes. A powerful strength began to flow into his limbs; his mind could only see walls of flame.

"Marlene!" he screamed trying to hold back the rage.

Zatch pulled back Marlene's hair; he sniffed her neck before slowly licking her smooth skin. The two men holding gen began to shake; their hands began to turn red from the strain of not releasing their prisoner.

"And now…" zatch whispered placing his cold knife to Marlene's throat. "…for the main event."

Gen screamed in rage. Zatch's face filled with terror as gen threw off his captors; Gen's whole body shook with pain, anger, and rage. Marlene's eyes widened as she saw his eyes, they had changed. Gen's round pupils has become thin, slits like a snake's eye.

A white light illuminated around his hand, the light stretched, morphing into a long, silver sword, zatch stepped back in fear as he heard as ripping sound. A majestic, black, feathered wing came from Gen's right shoulder blade.

Black feathers softly descended to the ground, one small gentle, warm feather brushed Marlene's cheek. Gen tilted his sword; a burning, bright orange flame enveloped the sword's silver sheen. He slashed the sword through the air, sending a horizontal wave of flame straight into the muscular men. The men screamed in pain as they felt the fire begin to char their skin.

The scent of burning flesh stung Marlene's nose, zatch through her to the side raising his knife in defense. With amazing speed gen grabbed his arm and threw him into a nearby bench, zatch tried to stand up before gen grabbed him by the throat, all the color drained from his face as he was lifted up into the air. He saw the black feathers gleam in the sunlight, heard them ruffle as gen slowly started to raise his sword.

"Who… who the hell are you?" he asked through gasping breaths.

Gen's eyed looked like blue flame, burning with anger and rage, the thin slits of his pupils glared darkly. A dark voice erupted from his throat, two different voices echoed throughout the church.

"Who am I? I'm the terror in the night; I'm the messenger of death and destruction! I come from the line of demons! My name is Genesis Angeal Gretes! I am the son of jenova! I am the Son of Resia Gretes and Sephiroth!

Gen threw zatch into a row of wooden benches, all marlene could hear was the painful groaning of zatch under the debris, the heavy breathing from gen. gen slowly scanned around the room, he found marlene hiding behind an over turned bench, he blinked as he looked at her. He spread his luminous wings wide, before flying out the hole in the ceiling blocking out the sun light. Marlene heard the screams from outside, as she saw gen disappear from her sight.


	16. Chapter 16

Pure Hearts

Ch. 15

Attack

Marlene could only smell the dust and debris, her breathing was tight and shallow, only the screams of the terrified citizens outside rang in her ears traveling down into the deepest part of her mind.

"_I… I can't believe it…cloud he… he was right. How did he know? Why couldn't I see it? What has happened to gen? How could he do something like this after last night? Last night he…"_

The memories of last night came flooding back to her. The tender warmth of Gen's arms as he wrapped them around her. The softness of his lips when they kissed, His beautiful eyes gazing into her own. How could have this happened. She started to remember how gen acted when she was in zatch's grip; he had become angry, stressed. He only wanted to protect her.

Slowly gaining back control of her legs, she stepped over large chunks of broken and splintered wood. The smell of charred flesh stink the air around her as she looked over at the four burned, crisp bodies on the ground. She looked over to a large pile of broken and stacked, wooden benches. She could see that zatch had been trapped under a huge slab of wood. His green eyes were wide with shock. His left arm had been crushed, and twisted. His whole body shook while soft, terrible, painful moans escaped his lips. Marlene's fingers grabbed the underside of the slab. She slowly started to push it off, trying not to do any more damage to zatch's arm; she heard a _clonk _and the slab stopped. Looking into a small hole she saw that the slab had hit another large piece of wood inside the pile. The slab was only half-way off of zatch, she gripped her fingers on the wood ready to lift it, when she heard shouts and gunfire outside.

Without thinking she ran toward the door, slamming it open. Everywhere there where 3rd class soldier running toward the main street, many of them carried guns and weapons. Marlene quickly put on her dirty shoes and started to run towards the turmoil, grabbing her staff. She ran up the steep road trying not to trip over her untied shoe laces, she heard more gun fire and shouts as she rounded the bend. Her eyes widened in fear and terror. Gen's hair had started to grow longer, his voice deeper. His sword gleamed in the sunlight, covered with fresh blood. Nearly ten bodies lay around him.

"You worthless fool! I am jenova's chosen! You will all die for what you filthy humans did to her!"

Gen's beautiful eyes had turned into deadly snake's eyes. He looked at all the soldier around him; he could see and smell their fear, for he could see his own reflection in their masks. He was truly becoming Sephiroth. All the guns were cocked and ready to fire, the soldier shuddered as gen spread his wing wide, his black feathers were bright and glossy in the sunlight. He shifted his weight onto his feet, ready to charge into the ring of soldier.

"Hey genesis, look over here!" A voice shouted behind the ring.

Gen turned toward the voice, his pupils widened as he saw zatch. His entire lift side was covered in blood; his left arm was dangling useless at his side. His right hand had a silver knife pressing against Marlene's throat.

Gen gave a defiant hiss, zatch grin only widened on his blood stained face. A small trickle of blood started to flow down Marlene's pale, smooth skin. Gen eyes filled with confusion. The slits started shrinking back into beautiful round shapes. He started to lower his sword as his hair started to sink back into his skull, he raised a desperate hand to Marlene, stretching his fingers towards her. His eyes were only focused on her; he didn't see the movement behind him, as the soldiers parted making a small crack in-between the ring.

"Now!" one of the soldiers commanded. A strong, thick, webbed net flew towards gen.

"Gen look out!" Marlene screamed as she kicked zatch in the shin. Zatch fell to the ground graining, Marlene had shouted too late. The net launched right into gen, he fell onto the ground, dirt flew everywhere as he struggled to get free, the net's ends were sharp and clung to the ground, it started to wrap itself tighter around gen pinning his arms and sword to his side. Marlene ran towards them as a few soldier started to grab the net. Dragging him through the dirt towards a huge Shinra truck, a soldier grabbed Marlene's arm.

"You can't be here miss, leave the situation to us."

Marlene tried to free herself from his grip, his hand only wrapped tighter, squeezing her arm.

"Stand down soldier." Cloud said as he walked towards them. "She's fine, let her go soldier."

Marlene jerked away from the soldier's grip. She watched as the soldier pinned down gen, feathers flew everywhere as he struggled to avoid the needle one of them carried.

"What are you doing?" she asked cloud, she slowly picked up her staff. Cloud gently grabbed her hand.

"We're sedating him, and when he's out we're going to put him in a whole for the rest of his life. It's the only way to ensure everybody's safety."

Marlene's eyes flashed with anger, her fingers turned white from the grip on her staff.

"So you're just going to let him rot and let Sephiroth win? Why don't you help him cloud?"

"Because it's hopeless Marlene, he's the spawn of Sephiroth, and there's nothing we can do to help him."

"Cloud! Gen would never hurt anyone on purpose! What you saw was Sephiroth working through him against his will!"

"He just killed ten soldiers! Without even hesitating, there is no way we can-"

"Cloud, I need you to listen. This whole thing started when zatch tried to kill me inside the church. Something snapped in Gen's mind, I think it was the anger and fear that triggered the jenova cells inside of him. Because that's the only thing the Sephiroth ever felt so jenova was with him constantly. Couldn't we just try the Aerith's water on him? Maybe it can strip off the cells like it did with Geostigma."

Cloud eyes flickered, his hand twitched with thought. He turned toward the group of soldier, they had successfully sedated gen, his eye lids were becoming droopy, and his movements slower.

"Tie his hands together!" cloud shouted to the soldier. He raised his arm and pointed towards the church. "We're going to take him to the church, I have an idea!"


	17. Chapter 17

Pure Hearts

Ch.16

Familiar Voices

Darkness. Only immense darkness. Nothing existed in the hole, only Gen's breathing echoed in the darkness. Nothing lived, nothing breathed.

"_Where… where am I? Is this the afterlife? The promised land?"_

Gen could only hear his thoughts; he was no longer flesh, blood, and bone. His body was gone, there was no warm, no frozen air around him, nothing remained in the darkness, and he could feel himself slipping through the air, no scents, no life, not even the tiniest sliver of light shown through the deep darkness.

"_I must be dead." _he thought to himself. _"Is the afterlife this lonely? I guess so… oh, mother… I'm so sorry."_

Gen could hear himself sobbing, he could not feel his eyes brim with warm tears or feel them run down his cheeks. He was nonexistent, he was nothing, and he had become the darkness.

"_**Genesis?"**_ a soft warm voice called.

Gen could feel the warm voice blow to him, not with his flesh, but in the deepest part of his spirit a small light flickered. He heard the voice call out to him again; he took in the rich, warm voice.

"_**Genesis, tell me what happened."**_

"_Mother…is… is that you?"_

"_**Yes, genesis."**_

Gen felt the warm air come closer and softer than before, he let it envelope him, wrap, enclose, encase him. His entire being filled with the wonderful joyous feeling. He wished he could hug his mother. But realized he didn't have his arms or any other limbs.

"_Mom… I've become so confused, and lost. I promised you so long ago… that I would never use the power inside of me, but I failed."_

The air around him cooled slightly as new powerful, strong feelings washed over him. They were sorrow and compassion.

"_**You did not fail, my son. When you made that promise to me I only wanted you to accept yourself, your entire self. And I also wanted you to accept things that you couldn't change."**_

"_Mom, I don't want the power inside of me. I have never wanted it! And now that it's been unleashed I have endangered everyone that I trust, everyone that I…"_

He felt the warm air grew a touch warmer, he tried to control the emotions he felt brewing inside of him. All the fear and concern came with the joy and happiness; he could barely smell the sweet, comforting scent of his mother's perfume.

"_**Love… is not a sin, my son."**_

"_It becomes a sin if you shouldn't love anyone at all! I'm a demon, she's an angel. Enemies sense birth, enemies for all life times. And a demon is what I am… mom I… whenever start to care… what I care about is ripped and torn away from me, including you."_

"_**And that is another reason genesis that you must learn to accept things that you cannot change. That is something you father has and probably will never learn to do. When the decision came to him, he ran, he ran from himself. He decision hurt a lot of innocent people, including me. He ran from his fears and has never been able to accept himself, or his consequences."**_

"_There is more to it mom, I carry and am jenova's legacy. Both in spirit and in blood and Sephiroth needs me. I'm just a tool in both their hands, a tool to bring back and-"_

"_**But, you can choose a different path my son. My dear, sweet genesis… you will have to choose which path to take… in the end."**_

"_But how? How will I know?"_

An intense heat wiped over gen. he screamed from pain, the heat felt like smoldering fire, he cried for his mother, over and over he called her name. No one replied to his cries' more screams raged through his mind, the world around him had become wet, and boiling hot. He strained to pull off the restraints he felt around his wrists. His legs kicked violently as his eyes opened. He was submerged in water, he couldn't breathe. He felt sturdy ground beneath him as he felt his cells starting to burst in flame. Pushing with all of his strength he leaped out of the water and onto the wooden ledge.

He coughed out the boiling water; he could start to feel the cool air rush onto his skin and into his lungs. He groaned in pain as he felt his body shoot with pain. A large, black boot slammed in front of his face. Gen weakly looked up to see cloud's eyes barring down at him. Cloud knelt down grabbing one of Gen's arms, he groaned painfully as cloud pulled him up to his feet.

"So genesis… did the cool water help you at all?" cloud asked looking into Gen's bright, blue eyes.

Gen could feel the water dripping off his clothes, he watched as small, clear droplets fell from his bangs. Then one of the drops was red, then another, and another. He saw cloud's eyes widen as he started to feel the small stream of blood flowing from his nose. Gen sniffed trying to conceal the blood as his tongue started to taste its bitter flavor.

"Do you see now… cloud?" his voice was raspy and weak. His legs felt like huge weights underneath him. "The cells are a part of me, they helped develop me… and they are a part of what I am… and they can never be removed without… destroying me entirely."

"No, but they can still be used!" a voice shouted from behind them.

Everyone turned towards the church doors. There was a young woman standing in the door way, she wore a red and black, Soldier jacket. Her blonde hair glistened in the sunlight; she wore thick, black sunglasses on her pointed nose. She laughed as she strode towards the group of surprised soldier. Her boots clomped as she walked, echoing through the church.

"Isn't that right genesis?" she hissed.

Gen's eyes widened in fear, he struggled to break free from the white restraints that bound his wrists.

"You… you can't be here." Gen said as she pulled out a long, silver-blue blade. It had silver runes inscribed in the black hilt; a dark, red ruby gleamed darkly in the sunlight.

"You're… you're dead. You're not here."

"Oh, really?" she said maliciously, her tongue clicked in distain before she began to laugh manically. She raised her blade, watching all the soldier start to crouch back in fear.

"Then why am I standing here? My dear, poor, lost brother?"


	18. Chapter 18

Pure Hearts

Ch.17

Blood Kin

The woman raised her sword high as it erupted in ice, blue flame. She twirled it around in her fingers sending wave upon wave of flame throughout the church. Her left hand started to fly everywhere, shooting fire and ice spells in all directions.

Gen could feel his heart race faster as he desperately tried to break the bonds on his wrists. Soldier ran everywhere trying to enclose their enemy, but she was always too quick to break their rounds with her spells and speed. Her fingers twitched who anxiety as cloud jumped in front of her, he drew his sword ready for battle.

She hissed as he charged at her, their swords clashed, spells from Materia flew everywhere as they fought threw the church; they looked like a pair of well rehearsed dancers putting on a performance.

"Who are you?!" cloud shouted as he lifted his sword to protect him from a blizzard spell. "What do you want?!"

The woman jumped away from one of his blade strokes, she gently landed on top of some broken rubble, landing on her toes she started to raise her left arm, letting whips and small, blue streams travel up to her palm. Her voice was angry, venomous as she spat. like an angry, hissing cat.

"My name… is Meryis. I have no last name because, my mother is jenova and her son chosen son, Sephiroth is my father."

She began to laugh manically as a ring of blue erupted on the walls of the church. The flames separated into pillars, they traveled through the aril like venomous snakes as they climbed, and they all formed in the center, blending into one big stream.

The fire crackled as id charged down at cloud, cloud tried to block the blow, but the force sent him flying through the air, he crashed onto the floor beside the pure water.

He felt a small trickle of blood fall into his eye. He felt something pull on his arms, he looked up to see Gen and Marlene pulling on his arms trying to help him stand. He struggled to his feet as he watched Meryis lick the side of her sword.

"Ah!" she exclaimed as she licked her sword her again. "Tastes like pure victory!"

A radiant light began to fill her palm; she didn't notice the small wooden plank above her about to give way, the plank fell grazing the side of her dark glasses, they glasses fell to floor. A loud _"crunch"_ rang threw the air as some rubble fell on top of them, everyone looked up in horror at the sight of her eyes.

In the middle of her face to perfectly round, saggy, pale, pasty, milky white, empty eyes. The eyes never moved they just stared blankly into the distance. She just looked down at the floor, disgusted as if she could see the shattered glasses.

"Pity, everyone said they looked good on me… what a shame." She hissed. She looked back towards cloud, her face contorted into an insane smile.

Gen's eyes widened as her left hand twitched. She raised her hand high, the radiant, blue light glowed brighter; reflecting against her perfectly, short, light blonde hair. Just as she released the energy gen wrapped his wing around cloud and marlene to shield them from the blow.

Everyone shielded their eyes from the blinding, brilliant light. The light slowly departed, they lowered their hands. Marlene looked at her right hand, a small, still warm black feather rested gently in her palm. She felt a tear start to form in her eye; she quickly brushed away as she placed the feather in her blue pocket.

"what happened cloud? Where did they go?" she quickly brushed away as she placed the feather in her blue pocket.

"what happened cloud? Where did they go?"

Cloud looked around, still dazed from the light. He blinked looking around at the sunned soldier.

"I think… that was a transport spell." He replied "it can virtually take you anywhere as long as you know where you want to go."

"so that doesn't help us one bit does it?" marlene sighed.

She watched in bewilderment as cloud started too looked towards the ceiling, she started to wonder if the blast had affected cloud's judgment.

"uh… cloud. What are you doing?"

Without looking back at her he started to reply as he looked around the walls.

"the… the transport spell leaves a thin, small, colored trail in the air, it will look like a thin glowing strand in the air, the strand goes to the end destination. But you have to find it within an hour before it starts to fade and disappear."

"well that really helps." Marlene said under her breath. She started to look around, watching the soldier pick up their equipment, she turned around to watch the sun's fading light dance and flicker on the clean surface of the pool. Then she noticed something odd about the water, the walls of the hole were drying up, the water had become lower. The water was being sucked up!

"Cloud! Cloud come look-"

Marlene turned to see cloud had gone outside the church doors, she heard the wind pick up as she walked towards him. she saw that the sky had grown dark; the wind had started to blow ferociously picking up all the dry dirt and dying leaves. She watched as the dying trees groaned against the fierce wind to stay where their roots were planted. She watched as dark clouds began to swirl around the surface of the northern crater. She saw something shiny flicker in the air, a small silver trail hovered in the air heading towards the crater.

Cloud turned to face her, a look of pure worry and concern crossed his face. His knuckles turned white as he grasped his sword, his breathing became shallow and light.

"he… he's coming back. I can feel it. there probably inside of the crater, that's where the trail is leading marlene. And we have to stop them; our entire world could be at stake."


	19. Chapter 19

Pure hearts

Ch.18

Reunion

It was air dank, and wet. Gen sat in a circular, dark room full of conjoined pipes; they had small windows showing the rushing green liquid flowing through them. The pipes were red from years of age and rust, gen washed as he saw little streams of the Life Stream zip by him in the pipes. He listened to the rushing liquid as he tried to twist his wrists out of the medal bonds. He was sitting in a cold, metal chair; strapped down on his wrists and ankles.

He watched the Life Stream, admired its ever flowing consistency, its power to bring life to the world, and its power to bring the dead back to the Promised Land. At least that's what he had heard from traveling professors. His mind whirled with ideas of how to escape this dark, dank, prison.

"_I could break out of here, but that would mean… no. I cannot use my power that's what Sephiroth wants."_

His sister had only given him the freedom of releasing his wing, so it wouldn't be crammed in the chair. He watched how the greenish light danced, and flickered on the dark sheen of his feathers, he felt how the muscles stretched and pulled. This wing was his own flesh, something that his sister would have called a gift from jenova, but he knew that this only marked, and hinted the true monster lurking inside of him.

His mind was startled as he heard the old, metal door slide open about ten feet in front of him. Meryisslowly walked through the open door way, her blank, white eyes reflecting the greenish light.

"So, are you ready yet?" she asked as she brushed back her perfectly placed hair.

Gen somberly shook his head; he sadly looked at the poor, lost creature in front of him. His heart ached knowing that this creature was his kin, his sister.

"Meryis… I saw you die… so how can you be her? How can I trust you?"

"You miserable fool!" she spat "what you saw crushed underneath the rocks in that miserable cave was a copy! A full grown copy of myself, it was a gift from mother. Who else did you think led that girl down to where you were? I was the one that cried for help so they would find you so you can finally accomplish your destiny? It was all planned by mother."

"Your mother is… our mother died nine years ago."

"No genesis!" she yelled, punching his left eye. "Our mother is none other than jenova! The chosen being to rule this planet! Oh dear brother has that miserable wretch poisoned your mind so much with her lies?"

"Our mother was not a wretch!"

Her face contorted in anger, her pale skin deepened to a dark shade of red as her fingers twitched.

"That wretch stole you from us genesis! When we were infants she snuck in here like a spineless, thieving rat and took you away!"

"She was protecting me Meryis! I'm sure that she would have taken you to if she planned better and had more time! She taught me the truth!"

"Silence!" she screamed. "She had fed you lies! All lies to scorn mother you insolent fool! Don't you want to claim your birthright?! Nine years ago you know as well as I do that mother's human servant Dr. Hojo found you wandering alone in the woods! Lost, alone, cold, and hungry; He brought you back here, and let mother feed you, train you, tell you exactly what your destiny is!"

"I can choose my own destiny! I will never help jenova bring back Sephiroth! Meryis please! I plead for you to see reason; don't you see how jenova's using you?! If you destroy this planet, you'll die along with everyone else!"

"Enough!" she hissed as she punched his swollen eye again, her mouth and eyelids twitched in anger. "Don't you see whelp?! You insult mother with your very breath! All those times I fought you while we were in training, all those times that I beat you, all those times I had won, and mother still favors you! Don't you see?! I have faults in my blood, my body was cursed before exiting mother's womb, but you are the only one she will accept as sephiroth's true advent! And when he's resurrected, he will come back stronger than ever before!"

"You're wrong! I won't do it! You're the one that has been fed the lies!"

"Oh! But you will genesis; father only needs a few drops of your perfect blood to rejuvenate his new body to be complete!"

Gen started to feel his cheeks burn, he could feel the small muscles in his eyes trying to turn into slits, and he could feel his cells start to catch fire. Flames erupted in his mind; he only saw jenova's face staring into his soul.

"And then we will rule by father's side, and finally destroy all those who have opposed and resisted us, we will have finally won! We can finally destroy this miserable planet!"

"No!" gen screamed until his lungs felt ready to burst, his body was shaking violently; his muscles were on fire, burning and ripping apart to break free. His mind was only covered in flame and Sephiroth; he could see his piercing eyes penetrating his soul. He couldn't turn, he could only scream and stare into those striking blue eyes, his own eyes.

Then he heard another voice, one that called deep inside, he could feel a cool feeling rush through his entire being, every cell, every muscle, bone, and pore filled with this feeling. It flooded over him like a tidal wave, cleansing and smothering the deadly fires in his mind. He heard a soft gentle voice, the eyes had begun to darken and soften until they were a beautiful green. He could feel a soft, warm tear fall slowly down his cheek as his mother's voice filled his mind.

"_Oh, wipe those tears off your face, _

_Oh, heavenly angel of softness, and grace._

_It is time to rise, and take up the fight._

_For angel's black wings shall be white."_

He slowly exhaled as the last words echoed; he could still feel her warm spirit beside him. Meryis's face contorted in confusion, she started to pace back and forth, ranting unintelligible murmurings under her breath. Gen's heart froze as he watched her pacing stopped, she slowly started to walk towards him, reaching out she clutched his face with her hands forcing him to look into her pale, empty eyes.

"So… you have someone that thinks they can help you hmm?" she whispered. "Well then let's find out just who this unfortunate, ill-fated person is shall we genesis?"

Gen fingers twitched, he tried to push back away from his horrid sister, but her sharp nails dug further into his skin the more he struggled. An explosion of colors flooded his mind; they twisted and turned, slowly revolving in a circle. Round and round they spun, blurry, faint images started to form in the center. Soon the images formed into full images of buildings, people, and other things gen had ever seen. His heart raced as he realized that what his sister was seeing was his memories! The center had formed into the image of silver moonlight flooding through the church ceiling.

"_No…No, No, No! No! No!"_

Gen's wrists had begun to bleed from the sharp edges of the medal bonds. He could see Marlene's beautiful face, bathed in the moonlight she started to come closer to him.

Gen felt fear surge up his spine, with all his strength he lunged his head foreword, smacking against meryis's nose. She swore as she backed away clasping her wounded nose, hot drops of sweat streaked down his cheeks as she looked back at him.

"Well…" she hissed rubbing her tender nose. "It looks like you have a sweet, tender doll in your mind hmm? Someone that your heart longs for? Someone that you would even share your lips with?"

Gen felt his heart began to beat violently against his ribs; his eyes were ablaze with anger. A deep growl came from inside his throat.

"If you… lay one finger on her Meryis I'll-"

"You'll what? You'll what my dear brother? She taunted waving her hands into the air. "you need mother's cells to ignite in you to stop me, all that anger, and rage will channel through you causing you to finally listen to mother's bidding. So my dear brother, you will fulfill your destiny whether you want to or not."

A sharp, scratching sound came from behind the door; Meryis waved her hand letting the door slide open. A huge, enormous wolf entered the room. The pale green light flickered against its pale, yellow coat; its cavernous mouth full of sharp, jagged teeth stuck down inside its blood, red gums. It's pale, eyes reflected the green light. It scraped its long, deadly claws on the hard, metal floor. Gen watched its powerful muscles flex and pull as it walked beside his sister.

"Well." Meryis cooed as she gently scratched behind one of its monstrous ears. "Satishia tells me that there are intruders at the gate"

Both of them turned to leave, Meryis padded the Satishia head as she trotted out the door.

"You know genesis, I may be blind but I can still sense your fear for this girl."

She slowly turned to face her brother, a malicious, evil smile slowly spread across her face.

"So I'll make sure that your little doll dies as painfully as possible for you."


	20. Chapter 20

Pure Hearts

Ch.19

A few drops.

Marlene watched as cloud gradually stepped further up the ramp, she could only hear the "_sloshing"_ sound inside the conjoined pipes along the walls, along with the "_clomp, clomp, clomp" _of cloud's boots up the metal floor.She chocked up her red, maroon jacket as an icy breeze blue in from a broken, cool air vent.

"Cloud?" she whispered through chattering teeth. "Cloud how do you; know your way through this place? What's flowing through these pipes?"

Cloud stopped mid step in the air, she could see that he was trying to control his breathing as he snuck his way through the shadows. Cloud had not said another word sense they had headed up the crater, and into the secret facility underneath. She brushed her fingers against the cold, rusty wall. This building had been unused for years; she pumped right into cloud as he stopped to peak around a dark corner.

"Cloud what's going on?"

He steadily looked around, looking back over his shoulder. She could see there was fear and determination in his eyes; they flinched as he listened to the _"slosh" _in the pipes.

"This… this is where we escaped, it was so many years ago… but we escaped. And I thing that's the Life Stream flowing through these pipes, it would explain why everything is dying. The Life Stream is being sucked up by something else." He replied.

She saw him grimace as he looked back down the hallway, she looked down the dark hallway, and the only source of light was the greenish hue from some small, glass windows on the pipes. She saw broken glass scattered all over the floor in from of huge, metal containers. Some of them still had small puddles of green liquid on the bottom. Her stomach lurched as she saw an arm hanging on one of the pipes, then she realized that the entire floor was covered in torn, mangled bodies, limbs laid everywhere, most of them had monstrous bodies but seemed to have human faces. She felt her heart leap when she saw one dangling, lifeless creature hanging on the outside of one of the huge containers. Only bits of flesh and organs tangled in the broken glass kept it from falling to the floor.

"These are failed projects." Cloud said as he stepped over a torn, scaled, leathery wing. "These were failings of copies; someone was trying to make more copies like the old genesis, and zack's trainer Angeal. But it looks like they didn't live long enough to celebrate the birth day."

Marlene shuddered, she screamed as a dead, mangled leg fell from the ceiling beside her.

She grimaced at the sight. "Cloud… cloud this one looks human."

Cloud was too far up ahead to hear her, grimacing she slowly walked over most of the pieces of the torn corpses further up the hallway.

* * *

Gen watched as lights flew by him, his sister easily pushed his chair down a steep ramp.

"Where are you taking mw now Meryis?"

Meryis didn't reply as she kicked his chair down the ramp, the chair rapidly slid down the ramp, gen placed his feet in front of him for brakes as he hit the bottom. He looked up to see a huge, rusty door in front of him. All the pipes were conjoined into one big one on the ceiling, filling into whatever was behind the door. Meryis slowly waved her hand, sliding the door open. Her eyes widened as she sighed fervently, slowly bowing her head as green light flooded though the door way.

"Behold… mother."

Gen's heart stopped, he tried to break free of the powerful pull from jenova's glowing eye, but she was too strong. Her head was positioned in the center of the container; some of her skin had been torn from her face. The Life Stream pulsed and twisted around her, flowing in and out of her eyeless socket.

Meryis slowly lifted her head; she reached into her red soldier jacket, pulling out a knife, and a small silver cup. Gen began to feel the grip on his wrists tighten as he clenched his hands.

"Now mother… you shall have your chosen son back, and genesis will give back some life that you gave."

Gen desperately tried to keep his fists clenched, his wrists began to sting as the medal bands began to constrict, and he felt warm, sticky liquid start to stick to his jacket as the medal cut into his wrists. His heart leaped into his throat as Meryis placed the silver cup underneath his dripping wrists.

"Meryis don't do this!" he screamed as she lifted up the cup.

She ignored his ranting as she slowly poured the red drops into a small open pipe. Gen growled in frustration from the strain of trying to break the bonds. He watched as small red streams entered into the container. The ends spread out like clutching fingers as they stretched out towards jenova, a high pitched shriek exploded in Gen's mind as the red streams seeped into her skin. He screamed out in pain and fear as he saw the head jolt sideways and back, it started to shake and jerk up as a spine erupted from its neck, more bones and nerves erupted from its base as the head continued to jolt, and swell. Bone, muscle, nerve, and flesh started to weave it together, forming into the shape of a human body.

"Yes…Yes! Yes! Yes! Father only needs a few more minutes before he becomes whole again! And we will finally destroy this foul planet!" Meryis shouted.

There was a loud _"crack!" _she didn't have enough time to turn before gen grabbed the back of her neck and threw her back up the ramp. She quickly jumped back on her feet as she saw gen running towards her.

"Now Meryis! I'm going to… arrgh!"

Gen clutched his chest, pain shot through his heart and up into his spine. His eyes became blurry as his heart began to throb, he groaned painfully as he fell to his knees. His nails started to pinch his skin from the pain. Meryis started to laugh manically as she dusted off her jacket.

"Ha! Ha! You've ignited mother's cells within you when you broke the chair and threw me! Soon you will become a true son of jenova!"

Gen struggled to breath; he felt his muscles swelling as his insides burned. His legs shook beneath his as he staggered, trying to stand. His wing extended, spreading feathers everywhere. His snake like stared straight at Meryis, he growled as a small blue flame ignited in his palm.


	21. Chapter 21

Pure hearts

Ch.20

Resurrection

Cloud stiffened as he heard a loud _"thud!" _echo down the halls. Both he and Marlene ran down twisting, and turning hallways until they reached a crossway. Cloud signaled Marlene to go left as he ran toward the right direction. He stopped as he saw the end was blocked off by broken ruble and pipes, he turned feeling felt his heart stop as he heard Marlene scream as he tried to catch up with her. Cloud reached the end of a ledge in leading out into a large, dome shaped, medal room. He attached his swords together as he watched Marlene fight a huge, pale yellow wolf, its cavernous mouth showed rows of sharp teeth as it growled. He watched as its ears twitched back and forth with her movements. Its pale, empty eyes sizzled with the green light.

"_It's blind… that means…" _cloud's eyes widened as an idea struck his mind.

"Marlene!" cloud yelled as he positioned his blade on the edge of the medal ledge. "Marlene pushes it underneath me! I have an idea!"

"Well it's about time you showed up!" she shouted back as she evaded the huge claws from swiping her leg.

Marlene hit her staff on the creature's tender muzzle, it growled in anger as it snapped at Marlene. Marlene swiped the sharp end of her staff, cutting the soft under pads underneath its feet. The wolf yelped as it limped its way back from her, reluctantly it kept backing away until it's tail hit the wall, cloud screamed as he jumped down on top of the wolf, forcing his sword through its thick, bulky neck. The wolf howled in pain, it struggled to stand before falling to the ground.

An explosion of blue flame blew up behind Marlene; she quickly jumped out of the way of the flying debris. Gen went flying through the hole past her; he crashed into the next wall making a huge, deep dent. His black feathers were covered in blood; bleeding from small, punctured holes that were all over his wing. He groaned painfully as he slumped to the floor clutching his chest. Meryis painfully made her way over the debris; a deep gash had appeared on her upper, left leg. Her sword dragged behind her, her face was covered in rust and a fresh bruise on her left cheek. Sweat drenched her entire face as she breathed heavily. Her fingers twitched heard cloud pull his sword out of the dead corpse beneath him.

"You… you killed satishia!" she screamed as she charged at cloud. "Know you will die!"

Marlene lunged as she swung her staff on Meryis's injured leg; she got herself on her hands as she sprawled onto the floor. Her hand erupted in blur flame, she screamed in rage as she threw it towards Marlene. Marlene jumped to the side, but her foot got caught on some broken ruble sending her crashing to the ground. Her staff skidded in front of her, just barely out of her reach. Her heart froze as she watched Meryis run towards her, her sword raised high, his muscles tensed as she was about to strike.

"And now you will die!" she hissed as she lifted the blade higher. "You'll pay you little-"

Meryis stopped dead in her steps. She lowered her free hand letting her fingers gently, feel their way down a sharp, piece of ruble down into a fresh, open wound in her side. She felt the warm blood flow through her fingers as she pulled out the piece of ruble. She slowly, limped around to see in her mind that gen was standing right behind her. She gurgled as blood filled her throat.

"You… what did… you do? How can…" she stopped as blood filled her mouth and flowed out of her lips.

Her hands went limb as her sword fell to the ground. She hissed again as she fell onto her side, her eyes just stared blankly ahead as she lay limp on the ground. Marlene looked up at gen and cloud, they all smiled.

"See gen." Marlene laughed. "I knew you could-"

Gen's eyed widened; he saw a shadow move behind her.

"No!" he screamed as a long, silver blade tore through Marlene's abdomen. She groaned as she was slowly lifted off the floor, she slowly slid off as the blade went down; she fell onto the floor as blood started to drip from her lips. The hulking figure stepped into the light, his sword gleamed darkly as the green light flickered on his long, silver hair. Cloud's heart froze as he heard the ruffle of feathers. A low, deep, evil chuckle echoed in his throat as he spoke.

"Good to see you again, especially you… cloud."


	22. Chapter 22

Pure Hearts

Ch.21

Life Stream

Cloud's heart had stopped, he could only watch as Marlene fell to the floor. His chest was burning with rage as he looked at Sephiroth. A warm tear rolled down his face as he charged.

"Sephiroth!" he screamed.

Cloud thrust his sword, using all the strength in his muscles and heart to strike down Sephiroth, he raised his sword ready to strike, but Sephiroth easily jumped out of the way dodging all of cloud's blows, cloud yelled in frustration as he sword collided with Sephiroth's, sparks flew everywhere as their swords slid against each other.

Gen ran over to Marlene, his heart and chest ached as he knelt down next to her, he gently slid his arms underneath her. Slowly, and softly cradling her crumbled body in his arms. Marlene eyes were wide with shock and pain. She weakly smiled as she slowly raised her hand, brushing away his long, silver bangs. She coughed as she tried to speak without letting blood flow out of her lips.

"Gen… I knew… you were… good."

Gen could only feel his heart ache; he wanted to tear out anything that could feel from out of his chest. His hands had begun to shake as he gently pulled her face closer, softly cradling her head on his chest, tears began to flow out of his eyes as he tenderly placed his forehead against hers, he could barely speak as the sobs came.

"Marlene… I'm not… I'm so sorry. Please… please forgive me Marlene, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry… for what… Gen? None of this… was… your fault." She wheezed.

"Yes it is Marlene; I should have left all of you alone… before any of this ever happened."

Marlene listened to his rushing heart; she could feel it throb as if it would beat right out of his skin and out into the world. She could feel his shuddering breath as warm tears fell into her hair.

"Then… why did you stay? And… not leave… when you had the chance…Gen?"

Gen felt his pupils lengthen into slits, fire brewed threw and inside of him. He looked around, watching as small, green streams of the Life Stream gradually flow out of the cracks in the metal floor. He looked back at Marlene; a thin, small smile creased his lips.

"Marlene… I'm going to save you, but please… just promise me that you will… that you will remember me the way I am now. Holding you like this."

Marlene strained to sit up, the pain was too great, and she was growing weaker as more blood flowed through Gen's fingers. All she could do was staring up into his beautiful snake like eyes.

"What… are you… talking about Gen?"

"Marlene… my body has the ability and strength to control the Life Stream to do my will, but it will only happen when I surrender my body and mind to jenova. After I do I won't have much time… before I truly become a monster."

The Life Stream flowed around, underneath, and over their bodies. Gen slowly extended his hand grasping the end of one small stream. He let it slip and wiggle through his fingers before letting flow down to Marlene's bleeding wound.

"Marlene… I will miss you, more than you will ever know."

A warm feeling swept through out Marlene, she stared in amazement as light radiated around the edges of her wound. She could feel the tingling of the Life Stream in her muscles and skin as it gently, coaxed her skin to close, to heal. Marlene could feel a new grogginess flow into her mind; she could barely keep her eyes open as she watched white light explode around her, than all went black.

* * *

Cloud quickly rolled to the side as Sephiroth jabbed his sword into the old, metal wall where his face had been only seconds before. Cloud stood a few feet from his enemy; he wiped perspiration from his eyes, his knuckles turning white from the grip on his sword.

"Sephiroth… you… you bastard! You killed her!"

Sephiroth slowly pulled out his sword, he only glared and smiled with insanity as he raised his hand into the air, the ceiling started to give way as he stretched his fingers.

"And she's only the beginning cloud! Soon I will finally destroy this miserable planet and travel to the deepest parts of the cosmos, just like my mother! And we both know that you can't defeat me without mother's cells flowing and giving you power within you. I have all mothers' power! Nothing can stop a god among you mere mortals!"

"I did defeat you before without jenova's cells Sephiroth! And I can and will do it again!"

A part of the ceiling gave way, cloud jumped out of the way as a huge, metal slab fell towards him. As he regained his balance he heard Sephiroth laugh. He watched in horror as Sephiroth began to grow and lengthen. His face lengthened and grew sharp, jagged teeth with a black, flickering, forked tongue. His pale skin was replaced by black scales as his hair grew into a long lion's mane. Another black wing erupted from his shoulder blade as he spread the feathers wide. His nails grew into long, deadly, black claws the he scratched against the floor, a huge spiked tail erupted from his tail bone, and it cracked like a whip in the air as it nearly struck cloud. The dragon lifted its great head and roared with the strength of thunder, causing the entire ceiling to collapse and fall. He roared again as he leaped into the air, the flexible and powerful muscles in his wings beat him up into the sky, and out of cloud's reach. Cloud felt a huge black feather gently stroke his cheek as they started to rain down.

"_Damn you Sephiroth!" _his mind screamed in rage.

Cloud looked around for Marlene, his chest burned in anger as he saw the hunched figure of Genesis over her. There was a flash of brilliant, white light; cloud shielded his eyes as the light steadily grew brighter. As the light faded he slowly lowered his hand. He quickly grabbed his sword as Gen ran towards him.

"Cloud!" gen shouted as he gripped his abdomen in pain. "Cloud please! I don't have much time; we're the only ones that can possibly stop Sephiroth. Marlene is fine, she's healed. But I need you to come with me."

Gen winced as another shot of pain flowed into every cell of his body, he felt his clothes grow tighter as his muscles began to expand. Carefully avoiding cloud's sword he leaped into the air, wrapping his arms around cloud's waist he carried him up. They headed towards the evil monster that was flying up into the black sky.


	23. Chapter 23

Pure Hearts

Ch.22

Anything… For Those Three Words

Gen continued to climb higher into the darkening sky, lightning began to streak the grey, swirling clouds. His eyes had begun to blur from the pain raging inside his body. He strained to catch up as they caught sight of the enormous dragon, its wild mane blowing in every direction, gen sighed in relive as they started to catch up to the long, whip-like tail.

"So what's the plan?" cloud shouted up to gen as he jammed his swords together, his cheeks burned as they passed the dragon's hind leg.

"We have to convert Sephiroth back to his normal form." Gen replied as he strained to fly higher over the dragon's wing. "Cloud, you have to strike Sephiroth in the chest so that he'll lose a lot of the power that Jenova has given to him through the Life Stream. The spot to strike will be marked by a huge, white crystal bound into his chest."

"And how exactly to you expect me to do this without _pretty _wings like yourself?" Cloud snapped.

"I'll throw you into the dragon's path, but Cloud I don't have much longer. So we have two tries at best to do this, after you've done your part I'll take you back to the ground and finish Sephiroth off myself."

"Why you Genesis? What are you going to do?"

"After I set you on the ground I'm going to change myself into pure, Life Stream energy. And I have to do this before I change into the monster inside of me, then I will enter inside Sephiroth and wipe out all the remaining Jenova cells within him, and destroy him, in the process."

Cloud's brow furrowed, his heart slightly, quickened as he watched Gen's sleeves start to tear open as his muscles expanded.

"And… what will happen to you?" he asked.

Gen didn't reply. He continued to beat his powerful, muscular wing .getting closer towards the dragon's snout. He heard a shrill, whistling sound coming towards them; he tipped himself to the right, barely missing the sharp spike at the end of the deadly, whip-like tail. His eyes widened as he saw the dragon turn on its self and charged straight towards them, opening its cavernous mouth revealing all the rows of sharp, jagged teeth.

Gen folded in his wings, plunging towards the dragon showing no fear in his eyes.

"Ok Cloud! Get ready!"

A low crackling came from the dragon's throat, gen could see and smell the thin, trails of smoke from its nostrils, his heart raced as he saw a black light emerging from the dragon's depths.

Without thinking he threw cloud straight to the dragon's chest as it released a giant, black, ball of fire. Gen took the full hit, as the flame engulfed him.

The wind was screaming in Cloud's ears as he dropped past the dragon's mighty head, there he crashed into its chest. He quickly caught hold of the sharp edge of the giant, white crystal embedded in its scales.

"You have so got to die!" cloud shouted as he stabbed his swords right into the center of the crystal.

The dragon squealed in pain, thousands of small, thin streams of the Life Stream spewed out of the cracking crystal. Cloud's fingers strained to keep hold, he quickly covered his eyes as the crystal exploded into thousands of tiny shards, and Cloud screamed as he plummeted towards the ground, tears came streaming out of his eyes, his heart raced beneath his ribs. He saw a dark form disappear underneath the dark, twisting cloud below him, he feel through feeling wet moisture cling and soak his clothes. As he exited the other side he landed right onto Gen's back, he grunted in pain as gen quickly glided towards the ground. Gen looked over his shoulder, a grin spread across his face.

"Well done Cloud! Now just leave the rest to me!"

"You never answered my question genesis! What's going to happen to you once you execute your plan?"

Cloud saw sadness fill Gen's eyes; he slowly turned his head back to the ground. They were only a few feet above it when cloud nodded in understanding.

"What should I tell marlene?" he asked as he jumped to the ground.

Gen hovered in the air, his thoughts wrestling with his heart. But he knew what had to be done. Trying to prolong the moments he slowly turned back towards the sky, watching as Sephiroth was already shrinking back to his normal form. He slowly turned back to cloud as a long, white; lion's tale erupted, and tore from his pants.

"Tell her… just to remember me… like I said before." He replied as he started to fly back into the thundering skies.

Black feathers rained down from sephiroth's melting wings, his eyes burned with rage as he saw gen fly toward him.

"You can't kill me!" he screamed in rage. "Mother and I are eternal!"

Gen flapped his powerful wings, putting all the speed he could muster into this blow. He felt himself slowly start to melt away as he was covered in white flame; time itself seemed to slow as voices flooded into his mind.

"_Then… why did you stay? And… not leave… when you had the chance…Gen?"_

"_**Love… is not a sin, my son"**_

"_**We Are jenova's chosen Genesis!"**_

"_**You will have to choose which path to take… in the end."**_

He slowly closed his eyes, taking in all the memories as he felt his limbs melt into the fire. A warm tear fell down his cheek as he whispered.

"I love you marlene."

His face was gone; he had changed into a white, flaming ball as he charged towards Sephiroth. Sephiroth's eyes showed for the first time fear as the fire rammed into his chest, he desperately tried to scratch a rip away the flame, but it simply sunk deeper into his skin as it slipped through his fingers, his heart pounded as he tried to rip his skin, trying to peel the flame off his chest. But soon there was no trace left as the last whips disappeared under his pale hide.


	24. Chapter 24

Pure Hearts

Ch.23

Rain

Cloud could only stare and pray as the cloud's continued to darken, his heart pumped against his ribs as he watched gen begin to transform as he charged towards Sephiroth.

"Come on genesis, come on, and don't give up."

He stiffened as he heard rocks move behind him, slowly and stealth fully grabbed the hilt of his sword. His fingers twitched as he spun around to face the person behind him. He jumped in surprise as he watched Marlene climb on top of the crater, breathing heavily. She was caked and covered in dirt.

"Marlene!" he shouted as he ran over and tightly hugged her, nearly cracking her ribs.

"Cloud, Cloud I can't breathe!" she choked.

Cloud released her; she coughed as she felt the cool air rush into her burning lungs.

"Where… where is gen?" she asked as she regained her posture.

Cloud's insides twisted and his heart sank, he knew what this would do to her, but his mind screamed at him to tell her.

"Marlene." the words caught in his throat as he tried to speak. "Marlene… gen is-"

He was interrupted as a scream of sheer agony filled the air. Both of them turned to see Sephiroth writhing and twisting in the sky above them, light started to break out of his skin causing it to crack and fall off in huge chunks. The light continued to tear his skin as he grasped his eyes; his back jerked backward forcing his hands to remain at his sides. Only light radiated out of his eyes and mouth. His black feathers were lighting from black to grey, grey to cream, and cream to white. The wing enveloped and wrapped itself around him, covering every part of his body. An explosion of white and blue light flooded the sky, streams of light stream plummeted down towards the earth, raining like comets in a night shower, the slithered their way back into the soil like thin, green snakes as they fell to the ground. Marlene's heart raced. Her eyes darted back and forth looking for any sign of gen as the clouds began to settle and lighten. The sun's golden rays finally tore through the veil of clouds, warming the earth as new sprouts and young plants sprung back to life.

"Come on gen… come back." Marlene's heart cried so only she could hear her pleas.

No one appeared against the clouds as the blue sky began to show through.

"Gen… please."

Still no one showed.

She nearly jumped as she felt a cold raindrop land on her cheek. The rain began to fall, healing the dry and crunchy soil beneath their feet. The sun reflected against the glistening sheen, making the sky light up with golden rain, like it was raining golden, honey drops. Cloud and Marlene gasped, their hearts stopped as they saw a dark figure fall through a cloud.

"_Genesis… is alive." _Cloud thought to himself, relieved for Marlene's sake.

Gen's feet gently touched the ground; his eyes were closed as if he were in some type of sleep. His feathers had become pure white, the glistened and shone with a soft texture, the rain touched them giving the edges of the feathers a hint, ad touch of beautiful gold. He slowly reached his fingers up to his pale cheeks, slowly opening his eyes as he stretched his arms in front of him, closely he studied himself. His eyes and face full of surprise. He started to laugh as he stretched his feathers wide, feeling the soft pounding of the rain on his skin through his torn clothes.

"I'm… I'm alive! I can't believe I'm alive!"

He looked over to Marlene, their eyes melted together. Pushing away all the bad memories, Gen's heart felt lighter along with his body and mind.

"marlene." He said as he started towards her. "Marlene I'm not afraid any more, I-"

A gunshot echoed through the air, Marlene gasped as Gen's chest began to flow with blood from a single gunshot wound. Gen's eyes widened in shock as he pressed his fingers on his chest, felling the warm liquid run down his hand, he started to choke. He fell to the ground as blood began to flow from his lips. Marlene's eyes widened as she saw who was standing behind him. Meryis was hissing in pain and anger as she clutched her bleeding side, she held a long, silver gun in her other hand. The faintest stream of smoke flowing out of its barrel, she sneered at Marlene as she fell to her knees letting the gun drop out of her hand.

"If mother… can't have him." she rasped as she started to laugh. "Then you won't have him… either."

Meryis's face contorted in pain. Her face fell onto the ground as her last insane smile still curved her dead lips.


	25. Chapter 25

Pure Hearts

Ch.24

Dwindling Time

Marlene and Cloud ran over to Gen's side, they pulled him off the ground, sliding him over to rest his back on a grey, cracked rock. Cloud reached into his pack, throwing all his stuff out of the pockets, knifes, napkins, summons, Materia all came flying out of his pack. His heart sank as he realized that he used up all his Cure Materia in his battle with Sephiroth. He quickly grabbed his First-Aid and handed it to Marlene as he sheathed his sword. He quickly stood up as he threw his pack back onto his back.

"Marlene, wait here! I'm going to go get some help, keep him still and try to stop as much of the bleeding as you can!"

She watched as he dashed down the crater, hoping that he wouldn't fall flat on his face, she turned back to Gen, pushing her hands against his chest, but still the blood continued to flow from the wound. The smell of all the blood started to sting her nose, Gen's face continues to grow pale as more blood continued to flow.

"Just… just relax Gen. you're going to be fine, you've just got to tell yourself you're not going to bleed out right?"

Gen's eyes had become glossy; a faint light flickered inside of them, like a faint, dying flame on an old candle about to be blown out by the slightest breeze. His white feathers had begun to wilt, and shrivel; they had already lost their bright, luminous sheen as more blood escaped from their veins. His breathing had become raspy, and labored as he lifted his hand, gently placing it on her soft cheek. Small drops of blood escaped his lips as he spoke to her.

"Marlene… we both know that… I'm not going to be fine. I've just lost… too much blood."

"Don't say that genesis! Don't you dare-"

"Marlene… please don't make this harder… than it needs to be… for both of us."

Marlene's heart started to throb; she couldn't keep the tears back any longer as she tried to stop the bleeding. She couldn't tell her tears from the warm, rain drops that fell down her cheeks. Memories of all the happy times together with Gen started to reel through her mind. She tried to push the sorrowful feelings away, tried to rip out anything that continued to throb. But then, she remembered.

"Gen… you never answered my question I asked you. The one I asked when you were holding me in your arms, before you healed me. Why didn't you leave when you could have Gen?"

He tried to avoid her gaze, but his weakening body or his soul could not fight against her concerned face, her caring, beautiful brown eyes.

"Marlene… I didn't leave because… I found something that I thought… I would never find again. I regained a feeling… one I hadn't felt ever sense my mother died. I found a home… my sanctuary… a place where I could escape from myself… and my demons. A place where I finally felt safe again, I also found…"

He paused, trying to fight against the clogging in his throat. A shot of pain ran through his body, he fought back the pain, trying to keep control of his tongue, desperately wanting his words to escape his lips.

"I also found…" he finally continued. "I also grew… too deeply, passionately, ardently, and overpoweringly… grew to admire and love you."

Marlene's heart sank; she started to quietly sob as the rain began to poor harder from the heavens as if heaven itself was weeping. Small puddles were starting to form around them, full of pure, clean water. She scooped up a small portion in her hand, gently cradling it up to his chest. She slowly tilted her hand letting the water flow over the wound, trying to wash the blood away, and lighten the heavy burden in her heart.

"Genesis… I… can't you just heal yourself with the Life Stream just like you did with me? Because Gen… I can't do this without you, you have to pull through." She sobbed.

Gen smiled weakly, trying to hide the pain behind his eyes.

"No Marlene… I can't heal myself. My body is just… too weak… from destroying Sephiroth to try to control the Life Stream."

His arm started to shake from the strain in his waning muscles, his body screamed in pain as he felt his body begin to deteriorate. His hand started to drop before Marlene caught hold; she gently held it against her cheek, savoring his soft hand as he brushed his thumb back and forth on her cheek. His breathing started to slow as strained words escaped his lips.

"_Time is closing in on us._

_Quicker than I ever wanted it to._

_I tried to make the moments last._

_But still the time… it just keeps slipping away._

_Minute by minute,_

_Our time together lessens._

_Soon I will be saying… good bye._

_To someone I love._

_With every inch of my body and soul._

_As I lay here crying._

_There is just nothing more I can do._

_There is nothing left._

_Only time and distance._

_That separates our love._

_When can I see you again?_

_And feel your warms arms around me, _

_As we slept._

_When can I feel your gentle lips? _

_To kiss me goodnight, and to always hear you say,_

_Goodnight my love."_

The light in his eyes began to extinguish from within. The blue eyes finally met the brown, gen sharply inhaled, trying to fight back the darkness brewing in his eyes.

"Marle…"

His words never finished as his lips released a light, soft, cold breath. His eyes grew dark, his body could no longer fight, no longer had the strength to win the battle. He could only hear the faint echoes of Marlene's sharp cries as his world fell into a world of darkness.


	26. Chapter 26

Pure Hearts

Ch.25

Sweet Scents

A warm breeze blew over Gen's cheeks, softly rustling his hair. He struggled to open his eyes but the lids felt too heavy to move. He felt soft, grass tickling his fingers and the back of his neck as he laid there. He slowly inhaled taking in all the sweet scents of honey, mint, vanilla, and a hint of freshly, crushed grain, being carried on the breeze. He leisurely stretched out his muscles, feeling them constrict and loosen. No pain surge throughout his body, every part of him felt lighter, and cleaner.

His eyes popped open; he stared up into a beautiful, crystal, blue sky. He was lying on a hill covered with soft, golden grass. His heart leaped as he took in the sight, he sat up to see golden fields as far as the eye could see. He stretched his eyesight as far as it would go, he say a perfect, dirt road at the bottom of the hill, it started at the beginning of the hill, but had no end through the fields. His chest swelled as he stood up, dragging his feet down to the bottom of the hill, trying to take all the beauty from the sight in his mind.

Then a sound rang through the air, he heard a soft whispering, he knew they were whispers, but they were too quite to make out the words. He looked around as he reached the bottom of the hill, trying to find the source of the sound. He cupped his hands together as he called out to the sound.

"Where are you?! Tell me where you are and I'll find you! Who are you?"

The whispering ceased, only the soft, warm breeze continued to flow through the air. His heart froze as he heard a voice sound behind him.

"Genesis, everything is fine." A soft, warm voice said.

He slowly turned to face the person, he gasped as his eyes nearly expanded out of his skull. A tall, beautiful woman was standing in front of him, her rosy cheeks reflected against her pale skin. Her black, flowing hair covered her shoulders; her face had a thin, gentle smile, her green eyes shone like glowing emeralds full of warmth, and compassion. Gen could only stand there motionless and breathless as she opened her arms. His entire being started to shake as she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

His breathing began to tremble as he tightly hugged her back, he sobbed on her shoulder as he spoke.

"Mom… I can't… I can't believe you're here. I've missed you so much."

She gently started to gently rub his back as he sobbed harder.

"I know you have Genesis, I know."

In those precious moments, it seemed to Gen that all those years of painful separation no longer existed. All he wanted to do was have his mother gently hold him in her arms. After what had seemed like hours they finally parted. His mother looked into his eyes; they were so full of happiness and love. She gestured for him to follow her.

"Come Genesis, walk with me."

Gen didn't reply; he took his place right beside his mother. They walked down the path just enjoying each other's company, no words passed, just shared feelings. They had walked a few minutes before a question ran through his mind.

"Mother… I have a question to ask you."

She tenderly looked at him as she nodded for him to continue.

"Well, if I'm here with you… so that means… you're dead."

"Yes Genesis, I am dead, it was not fair to be separated from you when you were so young. Hojo planted that fire so he could get to you, I'm just sorry that I never told you that your father was still looking for you."

"But if I'm here, that means I must be dead to."

His mother laughed, sounding like sparrows happily chirping in the spring time after the long winter. She gently took his hand, her eyes full of more love, and happiness as she spoke.

"Well… that defiantly is the question isn't it my son."

* * *

Marlene stepped through the sliding doors. Her hands carried a plastic bag. She watched as doctors raced back and forth, trying to attend all their patients needs. She hoisted the heavy bag further up her arm, but that was nothing compared to the burden in her heart. She quickly walked towards the elevator, having memorized her usual route to the room that was her destination. After walking down some more long hallways she finally reached the smooth, wooden door. She sighed heavily as she slowly opened it, turning its silver door knob.

She opened the door letting herself in before shutting it behind her; her heart throbbed as she saw Gen laying still under the grey, hospital sheets. She pulled out a white flower jar full of black roses, setting it on the table beside the open window. She pulled up the soft, blue, rocking chair beside his bed side.

"Hi gen, how are you feeling? Oh that's good."

Only the beeping monitor and the pushing air through the life support were the only sounds in the room. She tried to fight back the tears that began to brew within her eyes.

"I miss you, you know." She said as she gently grabbed his hand. She set a small, black book onto the table. "The doctor's say… that, that you probably won't… come back to us, it's been two weeks sense…. Sense what happened. I've read your poem, the one that you told me when I was trying to help you. You hadn't finished it in here, but it was a good start."

Tears started to brim her eyes as she laid her head onto the soft sheets.

"Gen, I just wish… you would have told me how you felt… before… you left."

* * *

"What do you mean mom? I have to be dead."

"But you're not." She replied. Both of them turned their gazes down the road, it had forked into two different paths. One path led down to more golden fields, while the other led to dark, stormy mountains. Dark clouds hung above the sky over the forbidding hills.

Gen looked back at her confused; she just gently smiled back at him. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she started to speak.

"What this means Genesis, is that there is still a part of you that remains with someone back in the world. This path that leads to the fields takes you fully to the Promised Land, where nothing but happiness is. The other path takes you back to more pain, and sorrow. But more joy and happiness than you can ever imagine."

Gen's heart lifted, he understood that he could go back, try things over with everyone he meet and loved. His smile quickly faded as he looked back at his mother.

"You can't take the second path… can you?" he asked sadly.

"No, I'm afraid not my son. I must continue on to the Promised Land, but unlike you, you have a choice to make."

The whisperings came again on the breeze; gen looked around to find the source. His mother gently rubbed his back.

"She cannot see, or hear you here Genesis, but she is waiting for you back in the world, if that is indeed your choice."

Gen felt tears begin to fill his eyes. He looked towards the dark hills, then back towards his mother, watching her hair dance in the breeze.

"Will see each other again right? I just miss you so much when I can't see you."

"Yes Genesis, we will see each other again, I just want you to know that I will always be proud of you, and that when your time comes… I will be waiting for you… always."

The last word echoed in his mind as the world around him started to dissolve in front of his eyes. He felt himself being pulled by an invisible source, he traveled through the darkness. He knew that he was going to be able to start over, with the one he loved and he felt no fear as his eyes closed. He would face his future, whatever might lie ahead.


	27. Chapter 27

Pure Hearts

Ch.26

Loves eternal round

Gen could feel something hard shuffled down his throat; he felt warm air being pushed into his lungs. His heart started to race, he wanted to breath, to move! His eyes felt too heavy to lift, a machine was beeping faster wit each second, his eyes popped open as he felt the hard object being pulled out of his dry throat. He gagged and coughed still tasting the plastic on the blue hose, his head exploded in pain and nausea as he tried to sit up. A young nurse was gently pushing him back down with her hand; she placed her free hand on his forehead.

"Lay down." She said in a concerned voice. "You're still not ready to get up yet."

All gen could do was sharply inhale the cool, crisp air. His mind soon cleared of the foggy nausea. He looked over to a small table; he saw his journal next to a white jar, full of dying, black roses.

"Excuse me?" he asked turning back to the nurse. "How long have those been there? And who brought them in?"

"Oh those old things?" she replied as she took out the needle from his wrist. "A young girl brought them in about two weeks ago. She used to come and visit you every day, but stopped coming about a week ago."

Gen's heart sank memories and pain shot back through his mind.

"_Oh no, Marlene must think I'm not coming back! I've got to find her."_

Gen threw the sheets off of him, the nurse nearly jumped out of her socks as she watched his radiant wing stretch wide. She just stared as he quickly grabbed his clothes and rapidly tried to put them on. She came back to her senses; she tried to block the door, trying to stop him from leaving.

"You can't leave yet! We still have to make sure you're ok! We just have to run some tests then you can leave tomorrow, just-"

"Tomorrow can't wait! I have to go now!"

The nurse stood firm, Gen looked over to the open window and saw his chance. Before the nurse could respond he bolted, throwing himself out the window. She could only watch in amazement as his feathers stretched wide as he took to the air, and flew out of site.

* * *

Marlene walked along the smooth, grey sidewalk. Her fingers brushed all the varied colored flowers as she walked by. She was in her favorite place to walk, just outside the orphanage near the entrance to Midgar. Her heart lightened as she saw that most of the plants affected by Sephiroth's drain had sprung back to life after his defeat. But she still felt a small twinge ache in her heart whenever she thought about Genesis.

"_I can't believe… that's he's not coming back. I don't know what to do… I think he would have wanted me to move on… but how can I ever be sure?"_

She stopped in front of some, golden-yellow daffodils; she kneeled down and stretched her fingers, felling their soft, velvety, silky pedals. She inhaled there sweet, honey-like scent, she easily plucked one from its stem. Twirling it in her fingers as she walked over to a white, cobble stone fountain, it was carved with flowers and birds all along its rim. She gently pulled a soft, small, yellow pedal and threw it onto the still water. She watched as the ripples expanded as it smoothly floated on the water's surface. Her eyes widened as she saw a small, soft, white feather land on top of the water next to the pedal.

She slowly turned, her heart leaped as she watched Gen slowly glide his way down to the ground. He softly landed in front of her, enveloping his wing around her, she felt the warm, delicate, soft, light feathers against her skin. He looked into her chocolate eyes, his chest swelled as he lifted up his journal.

"I… I wrote something for you." he whispered. "I wanted to give it to you before this all happened… but I guess now is better than ever."

Marlene felt a single, warm tear fall down her cheek as she took the journal from his smooth, pale hand. She opened it to a blue marker, reading the words written in black, beautiful, cursive writing.

_"The sun rises above the hillcrest,  
as does the joy of my heart;  
Rays of warmth and love,  
from you I will never depart._

_Fresh dew upon the grass,  
Young birds chirp in their nests;  
as you watch me gently sleep,  
my love to you I silently profess._

_I enjoy the stillness and calm,  
Watching as you smile and dream;  
you bring me to stillness and peace,  
like that of a slow flowing stream._

_My heart and soul flow with love,  
And I smile as I quietly reflect;  
That I've been handed a sweet angel,  
An angel to love and to protect._

_A vow to myself I make,  
as you quietly sleep away;  
to love and always cherish you,  
until my last breath... until my last day."_

He gently tilted her head up with his fingers, looking into those chocolate pools of kindness and love. They softly wrapped their arms around each other, everything about the moment, time, and place was right. In this moment as their lips touched, they created the most passionate, affectionate, tender kiss in love's entire, eternal round.


End file.
